Description

A rare early English silver porringer with matching lid and having the half flute decoration popular from the reign of William and Mary. The quality and colour is excellent. Hand hammered finish. A nice feature is the band of fish scale chasing and flower with lobe decoration on the body, repeated on the lid.

Weight 699 grams, 22.4 troy ounces.
Height 16.5 cms (11 cms without lid), Spread across handles 21 cms. Diameter 13.5 cms.
London 1695.
Maker IC (Jacksons page 137)*.
Sterling silver.

Marks. The lid and body are fully matching. The cup is stamped on the edge of the rim with a full set of clear English hallmarks; the lid is stamped underneath the lid with the makers mark 3 times.

Literature: Porringers are two handled bowls and some have a cover. They can also be known as caudle cups although the origin of the porringer was for porridge and the caudle cup was for a type of broth. From the eighteenth century onwards, porringers and cups and covers were used mainly as centrepieces or ornaments. In recent times they have seen a resurgence in popularity for drinking and on the dining table. They make a very attractive baby gift.

Signed/Inscribed: *It is unusual to have a makers name for a piece of silver of this early date as there are no precise records of silver makers’ marks prior to 1697. All records were destroyed in the fire at Goldsmiths Hall in 1681 when the Assay Office and apartments of the Assayer and Clerk in the south west wing of the building were burned down. From 1697 onwards Goldsmiths Hall has preserved a complete record of workmens’s marks, addresses, together with their names and the dates. Sometimes the details of makers can be discovered from old records such as the inventories of noble houses and other institutions.