Object Description
A rare early English silver cruet with two bottles for oil and vinegar and a small silver castor or pepperette. Excellent weight and large size. The heavy cut crystal bottles have multi-faceted cut decoration, typical of the period. The silver frame has an acanthus scroll carrying handle and side supports for the bottle tops and pepperette. The top of the frame has a hand engraved armorial which matches those on the bottle tops.
Total weight of silver 955 grams, 30.7 troy ounces.
Height 23.5cm (overall), 20.7cm (bottle), 9.5cm (pepper). Base measures 19.3 x 16.3cm.
London 1751.
Maker Elizabeth Godfrey, a highly respected Huguenot lady silversmith.
Marks. Stamped underneath the stand with a full set of English silver hallmarks, the base of the pepper with maker and lion marks.
ELIZABETH GODFREY
Elizabeth (Eliza) Godfrey nee Pantin. Married first to Abraham Buteaux on whose death in 1731 she carried on business as his widow until she married the following year to Benjamin Godfrey, Buteaux’s former journeyman. On Godfrey’s death in 1741 Eliza entered her own mark. Grimwade in his notable work “London Goldsmiths” describes Eliza’s work as showing “as might be expected, strong Huguenot characteristics of design and fine execution”.