An 18^th century unmarked silver mounted serpentine beaker, the beaker probably German circa 1700-50, the mounts circa 1780

Of rounded cylindrical form with incised concentric lines, the silver mounted rim with scalloped edge, engraved with contemporaneous initials EJ in flourished cursive script.

Height – 8.2 cm / 3.25 inches

Weight – 156 grams / 5.02 ozt

It appears than this piece was once a plain serpentine beaker for which a silver mount was added when the stone rim became damaged. Serpentine, a soft magnesium silicate, often sourced from Zöblitz in Saxony Germany, was prized for turning into many drinking vessels mounted in precious metals for centuries following the late Middle Ages. It is noted that during the 18^th century serpentine fell from favour and was only used for simple vessels and the mounting in silver became a rare occasion replaced by pewter Hoyer, E. M., Sächsischer Serpentin: Ein Stein und seine Verwendung [Saxon Serpentine: A Stone and Its Uses], (1995), Leipzig. P 92. The form of the mounts and the distinctive last third of the 18^th century style initials are similar to those found on silver mounted leather or ‘black jack’ jugs.