George II Antique Silver Oil and Vinegar Set

Object Description

A good quality Irish antique silver condiment set with broad shell feet and a carrying handle. Very heavy weight and thick gauge silver. The silver frame has a handsome wheatsheaf and shell design cartouche containing an unusual hand engraved armorial of “dancing pigs below 2 axes”, possibly for one of the Irish Mac Sweeney lines The cut crystal bottles are very beautiful and have detachable silver tops which fit onto the side rings when the bottles are in use.

Weight of stand and silver tops 477 grams, 15.3 troy oz.
Total height 19.7cm. Stand width 21cm. Bottle height 17.3cm.
Dublin circa 1750.
Sterling silver.
18th century.

Marks. Stamped on the cruet stand base with the crowned Irish harp for sterling silver and the Hibernia duty mark (post 1730). There is no date letter which is often the case at this date. No Maker’s mark. The bottle tops are unmarked which is normal for the period.

No maker assigned

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Object Literature

The earliest antique silver cruet frames were made from c.1700 onwards. The two bottle oil and vinegar frame was also produced occasionally although these are more popular on the continent. Later in the 18th century the number of bottles in a cruet increased to as many as 8 or 10 containing a variety of sauces of the period such as soy, ketchup, tarragon etc, so many that little sauce labels were needed to identify the contents.

Object Condition

All in very good condition. The bottles are matching, typical glass decoration of the period, and everything fits together very well.

Object Details