A very unusual early George III Wax Jack made in London in 1763 by Samuel Herbert & Company.
A very unusual early George III Wax Jack made in London in 1763 by Samuel Herbert & Company.
375461
This very fine Wax Jack has a platform base, with gadrooned rim, which stands on three well modelled claw and ball feet. The wax is wound around a central shaft which terminates in a cast flame finial and is most unusually contained within a pierced "Drum" cage with corded rim. The cage is unusually pierced with Chinoiserie trellis work piercing, which was popular in furniture design and architecture in Britain during this period. Thomas Chippendale certainly used this design in his openwork dining chair designs. The circular wax cutter, and drip pan, has a corded rim and is pierced with these unusual trellis designs and also displays two scroll opening arms. The flying scroll carrying handle is decorated with leaf capping. This piece is in quite excellent condition and is fully marked on the base and with the sterling mark on the drip pan/wax cutter. It is most unusual to find a wax jack incorporating a pierced cage to contain the wax. Samuel Herbert and Company were working from premises in Foster Lane when this piece was made. They were specialists in pierced items, particularly baskets and some epergnes. Wax Jacks were used like Tapersticks, on the desk to seal letters, as the taper would burn slowly.
Height: 6 inches, 15 cm.
Diameter of the base: 3.1 inches, 7.75 cm.
Length of the Arms: 4.75 inches, 11.88 cm.
Weight: 7oz.
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.marycooke.co.uk/british-silver-1760-1830/a-very-unusual-early-george-iii-wax-jack-made-in-london-in-1763-by-samuel-herbert-company&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/marycooke-8876-Qfhef-OE67/stock/6888c99767bcf_image_url_ab88a.jpg&description=This very fine Wax Jack has a platform base, with gadrooned rim, which stands on three well modelled claw and ball feet. The wax is wound around a central shaft which terminates in a cast flame finial and is most unusually contained within a pierced "Drum" cage with corded rim. The cage is unusually pierced with Chinoiserie trellis work piercing, which was popular in furniture design and architecture in Britain during this period. Thomas Chippendale certainly used this design in his openwork dining chair designs. The circular wax cutter, and drip pan, has a corded rim and is pierced with these unusual trellis designs and also displays two scroll opening arms. The flying scroll carrying handle is decorated with leaf capping. This piece is in quite excellent condition and is fully marked on the base and with the sterling mark on the drip pan/wax cutter. It is most unusual to find a wax jack incorporating a pierced cage to contain the wax. Samuel Herbert and Company were working from premises in Foster Lane when this piece was made. They were specialists in pierced items, particularly baskets and some epergnes. Wax Jacks were used like Tapersticks, on the desk to seal letters, as the taper would burn slowly.Height: 6 inches, 15 cm.Diameter of the base: 3.1 inches, 7.75 cm.Length of the Arms: 4.75 inches, 11.88 cm.Weight: 7oz.){kind=link}