A rare George II French plate brass twin handled cup, London circa 1750 by Anthony Christian (active c.1735-65)

Of rounded circular form upon a moulded domed circular foot, acanthus capped double C scroll handles. The body with a central applied girdle below an engraved contemporaneous coat of arms in an asymmetrical rococo rocaille cartouche with foliate surround of reeds. Marked to the right of handle with maker’s mark AC twice, and a lion passant to sinister twice. Later electroplated.

Height – 16 cm / 6.25 inches

Length – 23.8 cm / 9.25 inches

The arms are probably an unrecorded variant for Brockhole, Brockhurst, Brocklehurst or for Egioke of Appesley Warwick

French plate is the first kind of silver plate produced chiefly in the first half of the 18^th century, whereby a brass body is heated up and silver leaf is applied and burnished in very many layers. Edward Wakelin and successors, employed French platers as evidenced in their ledgers. It was not universally admired at the time as “the Decoys and Impositions Gentlemen are often liable to in the Goldsmith’s way, from...the Excessive Deceit of Whited Brass sold only by Brasiers, and by them called French Plate.” (John Hopkins, Goldsmith: see British Library, Burney Collection. Daily Post (6 May 1729). The technique had benefits over the mid-18^th century arrival of Old Sheffield plate, a sterling sheet fused with a copper sheet, as this could only be constructed from rolled sheet, while French plate allowed for cast elements such as the twin handles on this cup. French plate was also free from the duties levied on silver wares, for which Old Sheffield plate was subject to. Anthony Christian (d. Nov 1775) and his marks which are found upon approximately 100 objects including another larger twin handled cup is attributed and documented in Cameron, P. (2010) Anthony Christian and the French Plating Trade in Eighteenth-Century London, 10th anniversary, vol. X, issue 1 winter/ spring 2010, P.264-271.

An unmarked French plate sauce boat with traces of original silvering was sold these rooms 31^st March 2021, lot 253 (£450 incl. prem)