Object Description
A handsome pair of antique sterling silver sauce boats or gravy boats, having plain bellied bodies, with undulating shaped rims and cast flying scroll handles with leaf thumb-pieces.
The sauce boats stand on three cast hoof feet with shell shoulders.
The sauce boats have an interesting engraving with two hands joining together ,a Masonic handshake, and an inscription S.Scourfield to T.E Headlam 1764. Thomas Emerson Headlam 1728-1821 was a well known wealthy Gateshead (Newcastle) ship merchant who owned Gilmondby Hall. Successive members of his family who often retained the same name were prominent throughout the later eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Interestingly although the sauce boats were made in London the maker Robert Sharp and his partner Daniel Smith both came from a similar part of the country to Thomas Headlam.
They will hold between the two about 1 UK pint of sauce or gravy.
Dimensions, length from handle to tip 15.5 cm, width 9 cm.
Weight, 13.5 troy oz.