Antique Primitive Silver Plate Over Cup Tea Strainer
Handmade Rolled Rim 3 Ball Feet ~ 3.25"
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Up for sale is a beautiful, highly unique antique primitive over-cup tea strainer. Unlike mass-produced modern replicas, this piece features wonderful artisan characteristics that showcase genuine age and true hand-crafted construction.
From AI research regarding this item:
Given all your clues—the 2-ounce heavy weight, the hand-rolled uneven edge, the simple utility design with ball feet, and this chemical reaction—you have a late-19th or early-20th-century artisan-made silver plated tea strainer over a heavy copper or nickel-silver base.
Artisan Hand-Rolled Rim: The edge is hand-rolled and displays natural, charming asymmetry (wider in some spots than others), showing it was manually worked by a metalsmith rather than stamped by a modern machine.
Low-Profile 3 Ball Feet: Features three small metal ball feet soldered to the base. This allows the strainer to sit securely on top of a standard teacup or rest perfectly flat on a tabletop, keeping wet tea leaves from contacting linens.
Classic Loop Handle: Includes a simple, functional 1/2" loop finger handle on one side for quick lifting.
Pierced Bowl: The bowl itself is beautifully hand-pierced for direct straining into a cup.
Specifications:
Diameter: 3-1/4 inches across the rim (plus an additional 1/2 inch for the handle).
Weight: Approximately 2.0 ounces (has a very nice, dense, substantial weight for its size).
Material: Unmarked vintage silver plate over a heavy, high-quality base metal core (likely copper or nickel-silver).
This item is in good vintage/antique condition with a beautiful authentic patina. It is entirely uncleaned and untarnished to preserve its historic character for collectors. When rubbed briskly, it gives off a traditional metallic scent and light residue, which confirms the exposed underlying base core metal beneath the silver plating. There are no deep cracks, breaks, or major structural damages—just honest age, softening of the round shape, and wear appropriate for a utilitarian kitchen piece.