Object Description
An outstanding lot in terms of quality and unusually large size. A rare pair of George I silver sideboard dishes of plain circular form with wide borders. Good heavy weight. *Britannia standard silver. Excellent patina. The centres are finely engraved with armorials within a baroque cartouche of strapwork and foliage, a shell above, a bearded mask below. The arms are those of Lane.
Diameter 51cm, 20ins.
Total weight approx. 6,950 grams, 224 troy ounces.
London 1724.
Maker David Tanqueray. A highly esteemed Huguenot maker.
Large enough to be used as a beautiful pair of side tables.
Provenance. Sold in Sotheby’s London, lot 77, 16th July 1970. The original catalogue is available
*Britannia standard silver is 95.8% pure. In 1696, so extensive had become the melting and clipping of coinage that the silversmiths were forbidden to use the sterling standard for their wares, but had to use a new higher standard, 95.8 per cent pure. New hallmarks were ordered, “the figure of a woman commonly called Britannia” and the lion’s head erased (torn off at the neck) replacing the lion passant and the leopard’s head crowned. This continued until the old standard of 92.5 per cent was restored in 1720. Britannia standard silver still continues to be produced even today.
DAVID TANQUERAY
David Tanqueray,son of David Tanqueray of St Lo, Normandy, apprenticed to David Willaume 1708, free 1722. 1st mark as largeworker 1713. Married Anne, David Willaume’s daughter in 1717. Second mark (sterling) 1720. Subordinate Goldsmith to the King 1729 and 1732. Tanqueray’s surviving work is relatively rare, a remarkable piece is his gilt wine cistern of 1718 at Chatsworth demonstrating strong mastery of Huguenot technique. On Tanqueray’s death c.1724, his widow Anne continued the business and entered two marks of her own (Sterling and New Standard).