A George II silver-gilt cream jug, unmarked, recorded in George Wickes's Gentleman's Ledger on 25 February 1742

heavily cast, the shaped foot in the form of a shell-backed turtle after Adam Van Vianen (see his design for a fantastic ewer in Modelli artificiosi di vasi diversi d'argento, pl. 34) supporting a baluster body of watery waves between curved scrolls above a feathery calex, further decorated below the lip with a winged female bust, scroll handle terminating in an infant's head and shell, scratch weight: '10=8'

In the possession of the The Rt. Hon. William James Conolly (d. 1754) in February 1742
Inherited by his second daughter, Ann (d. 1806), who married George Byng M.P. (1735?-1789) and then by descent to
George Byng M.P. (1764-1847), then to his brother,
John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford of the third creation (1772-1860), then by descent until sold,
Christie's, London, 9 June 2005, lot 80 (when it was erroneously catalogued as 'supplied by George Wickes, London, 1731'); lot 78 in the same sale was a silver-gilt bowl on foot, George Wickes, London, 1741, 21oz. (for which see Literature, below)

Victoria and Albert Museum, Archive of Art and Design, SD.95.0050, folio 25:
'1741/42 Feb 25 . . .
'To gilding a cream Ewer 10[oz.] 8[dwt.] [cost] 1/2 [per oz.] [£]1=5[sh]'
The same entry includes:
'To a Slop basin 21[oz.] 6[dwt.] [cost] 6/2 [per oz.] [£]6=11[sh]=6d' (see Provenance, above)

Unmarked apart from scratch-weight to underside. Very heavy gauge. Finely modelled/cast. Light wear to gilding at high points. Good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This cast silver cream jug is one of a group of such vessels made in London during the 1730s and ‘40s, many of which are either unmarked or struck with a maker’s mark only. Michael Clayton in The Collector’s Dictionary of the Silver and Gold of Great Britain and North America (London, &c., 1971, pp. 82 and 83, pls. 153-159), illustrates a number of these, including fully marked examples bearing the marks of Paul de Lamerie, John Eckford, Peter Archambo and others, dating from between 1729 and 1750. The design of these jugs varies from the relatively plain to a rich vocabulary of rococo detail, sometimes enclosing vignettes or embellished with some novel feature like the hound handle on the Eckford example of 1746 (Clayton, p. 83, p. 157a). Although different in scale and pattern, this present example is striking both for its unusual design and for the order of its decorative detail: a foot below a calyx of scrolls supporting a body of curved vertical panels enclosing watery waves, a female bust under the lip and a scroll handle terminating in a head. This order should be compared with that of two unmarked cast silver-gilt cream jugs which have been attributed to Paul de Lamerie; the most significant difference from each of the latter being that one has a female bust under the lip, the other does not (The first, Christie’s, London, 22 May 1991, lot 545; the second, Christie’s, London, 21 March 1979, lot 33, now in the The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, museum number: LOAN:GILBERT.733-2008). Like the present jug, the bodies of these two jugs are composed of calyxes supporting curved vertical panels enclosing wave motifs. Similar panel and wave grounds have been noted on three Lamerie pots, one of which, London, 1731, is illustrated in Beth Carver Wees, English, Irish & Scottish Silver at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, New York, 1997, pp. 292 and 293, no. 195.

If, as has been suggested, this present jug was originally purchased from George Wickes, who in February 1742 is known to have charged £1 5sh for its gilding, then it is more than likely that the actual manufacturer may have been one in the circle of working silversmiths mentioned above. While Wickes’s own workshop may have produced this jug, he must also have looked elsewhere for stock: see the cream boat bearing his mark struck four times only (Christie’s, London, 15 March 1972, lot 67) which is clearly a Paul de Lamerie pattern, several of which, unmarked and fully marked, have been noted. One of these, London, 1735, is illustrated by Eric Delieb, Investing in Silver, London, 1967, p. 55 and sold at Sotheby’s, London, 18 July 1987, lot 274.