In the late 17th century manner,
the plain
circular deep bowl bossed out footrim and sided by applied
clipped S-scroll wire handles;
the marks placed at the rim
and worn, the Britannia and lion?s head marks discernible;
maker's mark L? (possibly Y, for Henry Lyon of 1697,
Grimwade #1969); date mark obliterated
(At this time, the maker's mark would consist of the first
two letters of the last name)
Condition : Excellent for age; wear and patina
appropriate to age and usage;
slight remains of early gilt to interior; slightly out of
round;
one minor dent to bowl
and bossed out footrim;
one
handle slightly pushed in at base
Note :
Very few wine tasters were
made in England as wine was not a ?national product?.
Most
wine tasters were imported from France.
However for a short
period in the second half of the 17th century, a
number of wine tasters were produced in England.
After
c1700, they were generally not made until the 19th
century.
The relationship between the wine taster and
Scottish quaich of the period is interesting to note.
There is an interesting note in
Great British Wine Accessories (Butler), p. 69, fig.
4/6,
regarding this type of small silver
wine taster, possibly being used - not as a merchant's
taster -
but one in which a servant would
taste wine, demonstrating to the host and guests that is was
not poisoned.
For this purpose, it was called "a
cup of assay".
A similar twin handled cup is
shown, c1670, by an unidentified English maker.
3" The Bowl, 4" Over Handles / 1.6
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#6886
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