FOUR GEORGE III SAUCE BOATS SET. SILVER. HENRY CHAWNER, 1790.

Set of four Jorge III sauce boats. Silver. Henry Chawner (act. 1786-1796), 1790. Each of them has an oval base, with fine moldings that are repeated both on the edge of the sauce boat, visually extended by the curved line of the two handles, and on the top of the lid, in the shape of a vase. There are hardly any other decorative elements in the pieces, apart from those already mentioned and a series of elements engraved on the lids (bull heads with necks) and on the front of the sauce boats. In this area a motto appears in Latin ("Fide et amore", "fidelity and love") under a heraldic shield on each one (three bull heads, two above and one below, separated by a goat; two rampant lions flanking one diagonal band on the escutcheon). The lines and elegance of the pieces are typical of the George III style. The heraldry is very reminiscent of that of the Boleyn, Bullen or Boleyn family, descendants of Anne Boleyn. The motto would allude to a game commissioned for a wedding. In 1790 William Bullen and Mary Collins married in the Irish branch of the family, although it is not the only event that year (Henry Bullen and Margaret Tarrent in the diocese of Cloyne...). The contrast marks provide numerous pieces of information. The passing lion places the production in London, while the two initials refer to Henry Chawner; the lowercase letter gives the exact year; The leopard head certifies the quality of the material. The silversmith, still in operation, called Edward Barnard & Sons Ltd. has a number of predecessors: it was founded by Anthony Nelme around 1680, and, after a succession of master silversmiths, the business was improved by Henry Chawner in 1786, master of the successor of the family that ran the business at that time (Eduard Barnard I) and who continued the business. He was active between 1786 and 1796, and the surname of this master continued to be linked to the firm until the end of the 18th century in several of his relatives. His works are currently preserved in private English and American collections, mainly, but also in prominent institutions such as George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum (Virginia, United States), which has an inkwell of George Washington's Henry Chawner, Scoteney Castle in Kent, the Victoria & Albert in London, the Portland Art Museum, etc. Weight: 2110 grams.

· Size: 14x10x23 cms.