An Excellent Pair of George II Silver Sauce boats, London 1737 by Benjamin West

These superb silver sauce boats are of the raised circular form with extended pouring lip and applied handle surmounted with a cast acanthus leaf thumbpiece. The body bellied with a cut wavy rim. All standing on three cast legs decorated with hoof feet.

Hallmarked for London 1737, makers mark BW for Benjamin West. As his first mark was entered at the beginning of 1738, we can date these sauce boats as having been made between 14th January 1738 and 28th June 1738 - the date when the date letter changed to a C.

These sauce boats are in excellent condition. No engravings, erasures or repairs, marks slightly rubbed, and they stand true on a flat surface. They have a wonderful lustre and patina honed over nearly 300 years of care. These are extremely fine pieces of this excellent silversmiths early work, and a rare example where a piece’s age can narrowed down to a very small time window.

Early George II silver is very hard to come by, and a pair of sauce boats in such a wonderful condition from this period are a very rare find indeed, and would be a special and yet still practical addition to any dining service.

Benjamin West was apprenticed to James Smith as a plate-worker on the 6th September 1725, Free 10th May 1733. His first mark was entered on 14th January 1738.

Length: 18.5cm or 7.3”

Width: 10cm or 4”

Height: 9cm or 3.5”

Total weight: 593g, 19 ozT or 20.9 oz