A pair of early George III sterling silver tea tongs / sugar nips, London circa 1765 by Henry Plumpton (third mark reg. Nov 1761)

with parallel arms terminating in with broad five-lobed shell grips. Each side of the fulcrum hinge engraved with a contemporaneous crest of a stag trippant within a scrolling cartouche reserved with fish scales and headed by a scallop shell. Lion passant and makers mark to finger ring, lion passant only to the other finger ring. Together with a George II pair, London circa 1750 by James Healy, with scroll and parallel arms terminating in pointed five-lobed shell grips. The fulcrum hinge engraved with initials M*H in Roman script. Marked with lion passant (pre-1755) and makers mark only to one finger ring. (2)

Plumpton length – 12.2 cm / 4.9 inches

Gross weight – 72 grams / 2.31 ozt

£80-120

An example of tea tongs with such an elaborately engraved cartouche is not illustrated in Shlosberg, D., (2004), Eighteenth Century Silver Tea Tongs, self-published. The style of the cartouche, which is rarely found on flatware, would have been somewhat outdated at the time of production and suggests these pair were made to match in with a 1730’s set.