OLD ENGLISH SILVER AT MESSRS. GARRARDS’ GALLERIES IN THE HAYMARKET
APIECE of silver made in the reign of Charles I is of particular interest, even to the uninitiated, owing to the atmosphere of pathos surrounding everything connected, however remotely, with that unfortunate monarch! An excep. tionally fine wine-cup of this period is now on view at Messrs, Garrards’; it bears the London Hall Mark for the year 1631-2, and the maker’s mark ‘W S’ in a heart-shaped
shield. Standing just over eight inches high, it is quite unusually tall; the bowl itself is entirely raised, i. e., fashioned from the flat sheet to the desired shape, the workman causing an extra thickness of silver to remain at the rim. The baluster stem and foot are cast, while the latter is slightly decorated with three or four rows of turned reeding. The piece throughout is in a state of wonderful preservation, almost as if it had just left the craftsman’s hands — each blow of the hammer struck in raising the V-shaped bowl is as distinct as when first given. Such cups are quite characteristic of the first half of the seventeenth century, and fell into disuse during the reign of Charles II upon the introduction of glass.
Another interesting example of silver drinkingvessel illustrated here is a ‘ posset ’ or ‘ caudle
cup ’ made during the first year of the reign of James II, 1685-6, and bearing the maker’s mark ‘ T C ’ in monogram, though it is pricked with
the initials ‘I H ’ and the date 1694. As can be seen in the illustration, the body is decorated with fantastic birds and leaves in the then fashionable Chinese style, in much the same way as was the Oriental china imported into England during this period. The whole body and neck of this cup appear to be raised from one piece of silver: the reeded decoration on the neck is deeply cut: and the entire piece is evidently a copy of the well-known stoneware jugs of the same pattern, Its condition is quite equal to that of the Charles I cup already described.
Before leaving drinking-vessels mention might here be made of a Monteith bowl of rather
unusual quality, of which an illustration is given. The following are its dimensions: it is 9 inches high and 11 inches in diameter; it weighs no
less than 76 1/2 ozs., one oz, less than its original weight, 771/2 ozs., as engraved on the bottom. Two centuries of cleaning will account for this loss of an ounce, an unusually small amount, since such pieces frequently lose several ounces during a similar period. This careful cleaning also accounts for the excellent condition in which the bowl appears to-day. It was made in Queen Anne’s reign, 1705 (maker, John Leech), and of the then compulsory New Standard; since between the years 1697 and 1719 the standard of silver was raised to prevent the use of the coinage in the manufacture of silver plate. The
Posset, or Caudle-cup. James II, 1685.6. London Hall Mark. Maker, T. C.
At Messrs. Garrards’.
Monteith Bowl. Queen Anne, 1705. London Hall Mark. Maker, John Leech.
At Messrs. Garrards’.
APIECE of silver made in the reign of Charles I is of particular interest, even to the uninitiated, owing to the atmosphere of pathos surrounding everything connected, however remotely, with that unfortunate monarch! An excep. tionally fine wine-cup of this period is now on view at Messrs, Garrards’; it bears the London Hall Mark for the year 1631-2, and the maker’s mark ‘W S’ in a heart-shaped
shield. Standing just over eight inches high, it is quite unusually tall; the bowl itself is entirely raised, i. e., fashioned from the flat sheet to the desired shape, the workman causing an extra thickness of silver to remain at the rim. The baluster stem and foot are cast, while the latter is slightly decorated with three or four rows of turned reeding. The piece throughout is in a state of wonderful preservation, almost as if it had just left the craftsman’s hands — each blow of the hammer struck in raising the V-shaped bowl is as distinct as when first given. Such cups are quite characteristic of the first half of the seventeenth century, and fell into disuse during the reign of Charles II upon the introduction of glass.
Another interesting example of silver drinkingvessel illustrated here is a ‘ posset ’ or ‘ caudle
cup ’ made during the first year of the reign of James II, 1685-6, and bearing the maker’s mark ‘ T C ’ in monogram, though it is pricked with
the initials ‘I H ’ and the date 1694. As can be seen in the illustration, the body is decorated with fantastic birds and leaves in the then fashionable Chinese style, in much the same way as was the Oriental china imported into England during this period. The whole body and neck of this cup appear to be raised from one piece of silver: the reeded decoration on the neck is deeply cut: and the entire piece is evidently a copy of the well-known stoneware jugs of the same pattern, Its condition is quite equal to that of the Charles I cup already described.
Before leaving drinking-vessels mention might here be made of a Monteith bowl of rather
unusual quality, of which an illustration is given. The following are its dimensions: it is 9 inches high and 11 inches in diameter; it weighs no
less than 76 1/2 ozs., one oz, less than its original weight, 771/2 ozs., as engraved on the bottom. Two centuries of cleaning will account for this loss of an ounce, an unusually small amount, since such pieces frequently lose several ounces during a similar period. This careful cleaning also accounts for the excellent condition in which the bowl appears to-day. It was made in Queen Anne’s reign, 1705 (maker, John Leech), and of the then compulsory New Standard; since between the years 1697 and 1719 the standard of silver was raised to prevent the use of the coinage in the manufacture of silver plate. The
Posset, or Caudle-cup. James II, 1685.6. London Hall Mark. Maker, T. C.
At Messrs. Garrards’.
Monteith Bowl. Queen Anne, 1705. London Hall Mark. Maker, John Leech.
At Messrs. Garrards’.