Description

A handsome antique silver cruet set with a matching set of 3 silver casters and 2 silver topped and faceted crystal oil and vinegar bottles. The cinquefoil frame has 4 shell feet and a shaped decorative cartouche containing a hand engraved armorial.

Total weight of silver 1214 grams, 39 troy ounces.
Caster height 17 and 13.5 cms, bottle height 19 cms, each with a matching hand engraved crest.
Casters and frame London 1762.
Maker John Delmester.
Sterling Silver.

Marks. The cruet frame and castor bases are stamped with a full set of English silver hallmarks underneath for London 1762. The caster tops have the lion and makers mark only. All pieces made by John Delmester. The bottle tops are unmarked, which is normal for this time.

Literature: The earliest cruet frames contained 3 castors and 2 glass bottles and are not found before 1700. This form is named the “Warwick” cruet after the cruet created by Anthony Nelme in 1715 for the Duke of Warwick. At this date occasionally one finds the two bottle oil and vinegar frame although this form is more usually found on the continent. Later in the 18th century the number of bottles could be as many as 8 or 10 and these would have contained a variety of sauces of the period such as soy, ketchup, tarragon etc and they may have had little sauce labels to identify the contents.