London 1735 by Paul Crespin
A George II sterling silver salver

Of rectangular form with re-entrant corners, an ovolo edge with moulded rim, raised upon four shaped scroll bracket feet. The field with contemporaneous 18^th century flat chased decoration of foliate C scrolls with rocaille and lattice reserves, heightened with textured decoration, similar motifs repeated to the ovolo edge. The field centre with a vacant mid-18^th century oval cartouche reserved with rocaille and foliage as well as ribbon. Engraved to the reverse with a later 19^th century crest of a demi-lion Gu., resting the sinister paw on a plate charged with a fleur-de-lis, on the shoulder three annulets, two and one, all below a Baron’s coronet. The reverse with a scratch weight 30=7. Fully marked to the reverse.

Length – 29.5 cm / 11.6 inches

Weight – 910 grams / 29.26 ozt

The crest is for Bass

for Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baron Burton (1837 – 1909), known as Sir Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baronet, from 1882 to 1886, was a British brewer, Liberal politician and philanthropist. He sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1886 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Burton.

The elder son of Michael Thomas Bass and the great-grandson of William Bass, the founder of the brewery firm of Bass & Co in Burton who moved there from London in 1777. In London, Baron Burton acquired Chesterfield House - one of the grandest of the Mayfair town houses - as his residence, and filled it with paintings by 18th century British masters. He bought the freehold of Rangemore in 1886 and more than doubled it in size in 1898-1901 ahead of a visit by King Edward VII in 1902. The King also visited his leased estate at Glenquoich in Scotland, where he enlarged the lodge at the same time as work was in progress at Rangemore.

Rectangular salvers such as this were chiefly produced in the 1730’s, often associated with the more significant Huguenot names such as Peter Archambo and Paul de Lamerie, alongside Crespin. A tea tray example of 1736 by Paul de Lamerie, is illustrated Brett, V. (1986). The Sotheby’s Directory of Silver 1600-1940. London: Philip Wilson. p. 176. fig. 714.