A George II sterling silver kettle upon burner stand, London 1735 by Edward Pocock (reg. 11th Dec 1728)

Of rounded “skittle ball” form with a curved shell moulded acanthus capped spout, the opposable double C scroll opposable handle with applied rattan, asymmetrical moulded junctions. The hinged lid with a central disc surmounted by a detachable turned ivory knop finial. The unmarked stand upon three shell feet with scroll legs adjoined to an affixed burner with pull off lid with fluted edge, the upper section with cast and applied aprons of ribbon tied garlands of flowers. The kettle with a flat chased band of floral sprays and rocaille forms with a shaped strap work edge, all reserved with matted decoration, the lid junction and surround of spout. The stand with chased floral sprays and C scroll reserves with lattice work against matted decoration, a similar smaller band repeated to the burner. The kettle with an engraved impaled coat of arms within a scroll work cartouche flanked either side by recumbent regardant lions, above a shell centred pediment with acanthus scroll and diaper work reserves, all surmounted by a crest of a stag’s head cabossed. Fully marked underneath the kettle only.

Height – 32.3 cm / 12.75 inches

Weight – 2020 grams / 64.94 ozt

The arms are for Knightley of Fawsley, impaling, most likely, Adams

Most likely for Lucy or Lucius Knightley (1684-1738) who married on the 19^th June 1732 his second wife Anna or Anne Adams (1702-1760).

He the eldest surviving son of Richard Knightley (1658-1728), captain of the Horse Guards 1692 and lieutenant on the 31st October 1696, and his first wife Elizabeth Walrond (1659-1695), the daughter of Henry Walrond (1627-1693), a judge of Barbados. Through his son through his first marriage Valentine (1718-1754), his grandson is created a baronet of Fawsley in 1798, Sir John Knightley, 1st Baronet (1747–1812), the baronetcy became extinct in 1938 upon the death of the sixth baronet.

She the daughter of Rev. William Adams (1672-1731), Rector of Charwelton, Northamptonshire. She married secondly Rev. Richard Knightley (1702-1777) Rector of Charwelton.

Edward Pocock first entered a mark in partnership with Hugh Arnett on the 15^th Feb 1720, his third mark is him alone in 1728 registered at Foster Lane. The term ‘duty dodgers’ is applied to pieces that were not sent for assay during the period 1720-58 whereby a steep tax was placed on silverware. Silversmiths had a variety of methods of escaping this tax which may involve transposing marks from small articles to large or by overstriking on marks cut out of much older pieces. The present example whereby the maker’s mark is struck four times over in various directions to simulate the four marks required for assay at the time is the most innocuous of the methods deployed by duty dodgers and is found on multiple pieces by Paul de Lamerie who was known as a regular participant in tax dodging.

ivory declaration: EAEKM7ZD