Sauce Boat
1737-1738 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Sauceboats appeared in England in the early 18th century to meet the demands of a new form of dining adopted from France, which placed greater emphasis on the role of sauces, stews and soups.
The design of this sauceboat was very popular among goldsmiths in England in the 1730s. The motifs of the lion’s head and feet were used by English goldsmiths from the 1690s. They may allude to the classical hero Hercules, who wrestled with a lion, or even to William III, who was sometimes personified as Hercules, the strong man.
The design of this sauceboat was very popular among goldsmiths in England in the 1730s. The motifs of the lion’s head and feet were used by English goldsmiths from the 1690s. They may allude to the classical hero Hercules, who wrestled with a lion, or even to William III, who was sometimes personified as Hercules, the strong man.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, cast, embossed, chased and engraved. |
| Brief description | Sauce boat, silver, London hallmarks for 1737-38, mark of George Wickes |
| Physical description | Silver sauce boat, (one of a pair), a shaped oval body, embellished with acanthus and shell ornament, with the spout at one end and a closed scroll handle, opposite, resting on four paw feet issuing from applied lions masks between which on either side are applied festoons of flowers and fruit. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Arthur James Collection Bequest |
| Object history | Acquisition RF: 48/1815 Arthur James Collection Bequest (by his wife) Exhibitions: English Silver, 16th -20th Century , Moscow and Leningrad, 1978, Belgrade and Zagreb, 1980 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Sauceboats appeared in England in the early 18th century to meet the demands of a new form of dining adopted from France, which placed greater emphasis on the role of sauces, stews and soups. The design of this sauceboat was very popular among goldsmiths in England in the 1730s. The motifs of the lion’s head and feet were used by English goldsmiths from the 1690s. They may allude to the classical hero Hercules, who wrestled with a lion, or even to William III, who was sometimes personified as Hercules, the strong man. |
| Associated object | M.27A-1948 (Pair) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.27-1948 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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