A PAIR OF GEORGE III SILVER BUTTER SHELLS

Hester Bateman (1708-1794), is one of the best known female silver manufacturers of the 18th century. She entered her first mark in 1761, after her husband's death, and worked with her sons Peter and Jonathan to create a large and varied output of domestic wares such as the wine coasters, butter dishes and salvers seen here. Much of her work features elegant forms with bright-cut engraving and delicate bead borders, and many pieces survive from the 1770s and 1780s.