Burnell and Rowe

Description

Here we have a very fine quality George III Sterling Silver Waiter or Small Salver. The waiter has a pie crust rim with shell motifs around the outside and stands on 3 hoof feet. There are no initials or personalisation of any kind.

Waiters are small salvers, usually up to about 7 inches in diameter. They are also sometimes called card trays as a vistor would place their calling card on the waiter and a butler would then carry that through to the master or mistress of the house who would decide whether or not to receive the visitor. Today they are mostly used for serving the likes of After Dinner Mints or other small items at the dining table.

This waiter was made in London and dates to 1769. The makers' mark of I.C was used by a number of different silversmiths around this time but this is most likely to have been made by John Carter who specialised in candlesticks and salvers and was active from the late 1760s through into the 1780s.

Condition is very good, with just one shallow ding in the surface of the waiter plus the superficial surface wear that has to be expected after over 250 years of good service. Please make sure to view all the photographs.

The waiter is 16.5cm / 6.5ins in diameter and stands 2.7cm / 1.1ins high. It weighs in at a very substantial 201.9g / 7.1oz of solid Sterling Silver.

The hallmarks, on the underside of the waiter, are particularly well struck and clear to read. They show the lion passant for Sterling Silver, the crowned leopard's head assay mark for London, the Gothic date letter O for 1769 and the I.C makers' mark which is most probably that of John Carter.

Shipping in the UK is £11 by Royal Mail Special Delivery, which includes cover for the value of the waiter.
Overseas customers, please ask us about shipping costs to your country before making a purchase.