A very rare George III Neo Classical urn nutmeg grater made, most probably, in london circa 1775
A very rare George III Neo Classical urn nutmeg grater made, most probably, in london circa 1775
374445
This very rare example is modelled as a Neo Classical urn and stands on a square pedestal foot. The main body is vase shaped in form and the domed, hinged, cover displays a beaded rim and terminates in an urn finial. The urn opens up to reveal the steel grater and the section were the nutmeg could be stored. Both the front, and the reverse, of the main body is engraved with a bright cut cartouche containing a set of contemporary script initials. Although this piece is unmarked, we have no doubt that it was made in London circa 1775 when plain bead decoration was at the height of fashion and also when this style of engraving was used. The grater is in excellent condition. The urn form was only produced for a very short time and very few bead examples are shown in books. The reason why it is unmarked is simply because it was a rush order and went straight from the silversmiths workshops to the customer.
Height: 3 inches, 7.5 cm.
Length: 1.6 inches, 4 cm.
Width: 1.1 inches, 2.75 cm
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