A George III sterling silver swing-handled sugar basket by John Robins, fully hallmarked in London in 1792. John Robins gained his freedom of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1771 and entered his first mark as a plate-worker in 1774. A fine London silversmith of the late Georgian period, he produced well-made domestic silver including tureens, caddies and tableware, working from Aldersgate Street and later Clerkenwell.
The boat-shaped oval bowl is raised on a spreading oval pedestal foot and fitted with a hinged reeded swing handle. The rim is decorated with a delicate bright-cut engraved border of scrolling foliage, and the front of the body bears a contemporary engraved heraldic crest within an oval cartouche.
Although sometimes described as a sauce or gravy boat, the elevated bowl, pedestal foot and movable swing handle identify it more accurately as a Georgian sugar or sweetmeat basket, an elegant and very usable piece of 18th-century English silver.
Hallmarks & Details -
Maker: John Robins
Assay Office: London
Date: 1792
Period: George III
Metal: Sterling Silver
Weight: 256 grams
Features: Swing handle, pedestal foot, bright-cut border, engraved crest
Dimensions -
Length: 16 cm
Width: 11 cm
Height: 10 cm (handle raised)
Condition :
Antique condition with scratches, tarnishing, small marks and wear consistent with more than 230 years of age. The engraved crest and bright-cut decoration show age-related rubbing. The swing handle remains hinged at both sides.
A George III sterling silver swing-handled sugar basket by John Robins, fully hallmarked in London in 1792. John Robins gained his freedom of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1771 and entered his first mark as a plate-worker in 1774. A fine London silversmith of the late Georgian period, he produced well-made domestic silver including tureens, caddies and tableware, working from Aldersgate Street and later Clerkenwell.
The boat-shaped oval bowl is raised on a spreading oval pedestal foot and fitted with a hinged reeded swing handle. The rim is decorated with a delicate bright-cut engraved border of scrolling foliage, and the front of the body bears a contemporary engraved heraldic crest within an oval cartouche.
Although sometimes described as a sauce or gravy boat, the elevated bowl, pedestal foot and movable swing handle identify it more accurately as a Georgian sugar or sweetmeat basket, an elegant and very usable piece of 18th-century English silver.
Hallmarks & Details -
Maker: John Robins
Assay Office: London
Date: 1792
Period: George III
Metal: Sterling Silver
Weight: 256 grams
Features: Swing handle, pedestal foot, bright-cut border, engraved crest
Dimensions -
Length: 16 cm
Width: 11 cm
Height: 10 cm (handle raised)
Condition :
Antique condition with scratches, tarnishing, small marks and wear consistent with more than 230 years of age. The engraved crest and bright-cut decoration show age-related rubbing. The swing handle remains hinged at both sides.
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