George III Silver Galleried, 5 Bottle Cruet Set. Pierced
Gallery on Ball & Claw Feet and having a Circular Looped Handle, Cut Glass
Bottles with Silver Tops. Made by Robert Peaston, London 1776
(s101-02)
A stunning and extremely pretty five bottle cruet set made by silversmith
Robert Peaston, in London 1776. This delightful cruet is in
good condition after some minor restoration to two of the bottles' necks and one
professionally made replacement bottle specially made for one that was
previously missing, (see the descriptions of each bottle below, which gives a
full report). It has a rococo pierced
circular galleried cruet frame with a beaded base line and gadrooned and shaped
top rim. The frame stands upon three very pretty ball and claw
feet and has a central column with a circular shaped
bright cut carrying handle-a delightful feature of this glorious cruet. A Robert Peason Warwick cruet is housed in H.M. The Queen's home at Windsor Castle, London.
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The five cruet bottles, each with their original silver lids, comprise two tall
oil bottles, which are
the same design. Two matching bottles with pierced silver lids and turned cup
finials, these probably for pepper or dried mustard. There is
a single bottle, matching the other two but with a slightly different design to
the silver top, this distinguishing it as the pepper caster. The cut glass
design on all the bottles is of the same design with minor variations due to
their different shapes and heights.
The cruet frame is charming in its design and decoration. The
deep circular gallery is pierced with an attractive rococo design that is
typical of this period in eighteenth century English silver. This fine gallery
is embellished with beaded decoration running around the base portion and with
moulded gadrooning to the shaped rim. A fan shaped cartouche is positioned at
the front of the gallery, this would have been there for a family crest or initials
to be engraved, this remains blank on this fine example.
The gallery frame of the cruet contains a full set of hallmarks
within the rococo piercing, details of which are given in full in the marks
section below.
The gallery stands upon three absolutely delightful ball and
claw feet, delicately and very well cast in silver. The detail in these feet is
exceptional. Another pretty feature to the feet is the 'Y' shaped leg brackets
ending in a tight little scroll as they terminate to the cruet gallery. The
wooden base is of a polished hardwood.
A central nut on the base secures the carrying column of
the cruet frame.
At the lower portion of the central handle column, there is a pierced star bottle
support with a pierced design to the centre. This bottle support holds the
bottles in their correct position within the cruet frame and has a feather edge
decoration to it.
There is a circular shaped carrying handle to the top of the
central column. This has a feathered edge decoration to it on both flat faces
and a little foliate design where the circular handle meets the column - a nice
little detail.
Caster One (The Pepper caster):
This glass caster has a cut glass design to the bottle's body and
a push fit silver top. The top is pierced in a floral design and has a turned
finial, this distinguishing it as the pepper caster as opposed to the other two
bottles for something such as dried mustard and herbs.
The neck of this bottle has been professionally restored to
stabilise a crack which is in the neck portion and tiny cracks in the neck.
These I have indicated with arrows. The work means that this bottle is now in a
good stable condition.
Pair of Casters Two & Three (The bottles for maybe dried
mustard and herbs):
This pair of cruet bottles has the same design cut into their
body as the pepper caster. They each have the same silver lid, pierced with a
floral design and terminating in a cup shaped finial. There is a beaded line
running round each lid that is the same as around the base of the cruet frame.
Of these two bottles, one is in perfect condition, the other has
had some tiny cracks within the rim, as indicated by the arrows. These
cracks have been professionally stabilised to make them stable.
Pair of Oil Bottles Four & Five (Pair of Oil bottles):
Of these two oil bottles, one is a newly made replacement, made
copying the other by a professional glass company. The bottle shown in the top
left picture with an arrow, is the new bottle. These bottles have the same cut
glass design to their bodies as the other three bottles. However, the silver lid
is the original one to the cruet.
Each of the oil bottles has a push fit silver top. One of these
tops has had some repair work carried out to it, but it is in a good stable
condition and does not detract from this beautiful cruet set. the repairs are
shown by the arrows below.
There is also an extremely tiny chip on the rim of each of
these bottles, these really are insignificant chips.
This Georgian Cruet set, despite having some restoration, is
a very fine set that would grace any Georgian dining table or silver collection.
This magnificent 5 Bottle Cruet Set has a 'rococo' Pierced
Gallery on Ball & Claw Feet and having a Circular Looped Handle, Cut Glass
Bottles with Silver Tops. Made by Robert Peaston, London 1776
Size
and Weight: (values are approximate)
Marks:
There is a clear set of hallmarks on the gallery of the cruet.
The marks comprise the Date Letter 'a' for 1776; Crowned Leopard's Head of the
London Assay office; Lion Passant mark for Sterling Silver and the makers
initials 'R*P', the mark of Robert Peaston. Robert Peaston's mark is also to be
found on a Warwick cruet set at Windsor Castle, London.
As described in the text descriptions, there has been a replacement bottle
made for one that was missing. This new bottle has been professionally made
copying the design of the other bottles. The top of this new bottle is however
the original top.
Two bottles have some small cracks that have been professionally stabilised,
so are of no concern strength wise. Also, there are a few tiniest of chips to
the neck of two bottles.
The wooden base platform of the cruet frame is not sitting quite square in
the base of the frame. It is a very tight fit and so there is no play and this
does not cause a problem with the set.
