A fine early George III Old Sheffield Plate salver, the circular salver with shaped and beaded border with a silver wire edge around a surface with finely chased foliate decoration, with at the centre a silver disc engraved with a crest of a lamb with a flag, raised on four ball and claw feet. English, circa 1770.
Condition: Overall very good, the salver is in very good condition with very little plate wear considering its age, there is a small (c. 1 inch) scratch near the centre; the decoration is original and chased, not engraved, the crest is almost certainly contemporary with the piece, and it stands well. Overall, the piece has a lovely colour and patina.
A note on Old Sheffield Plate.
Pieces such as this were made at some expense: a sheet of copper plated with silver would naturally have copper showing at the edge, therefore more upmarket pieces were finished at the edges with silver wire, a meticulous and time-consuming practice. In addition, grander pieces such as this one would often have a square or disc of silver let into the metal to allow for an engraving to be added without the copper showing through underneath. This would maintain the illusion that a piece was made of solid silver, not plate, which would only be revealed after years of polishing.
Diameter = 30 cm (12”)