A very fine, and unusual, pair of George III Rococo Revival Sauceboats made in London in 1813 by John Houle.
A very fine, and unusual, pair of George III Rococo Revival Sauceboats made in London in 1813 by John Houle.
375316
The Sauceboats are of a large size and stand on four heavy cast scroll feet. The slightly baluster main body rises to a shaped gadrooned rim and the cast scroll handles are decorated with leaf capping. The handles are attached to the main body with a raying shell moulding. Most unusually, however, is that the main body is decorated with attractive raised Rococo style scrollwork, a feature which is rarely seen on such pieces. Each is engraved with a contemporary Crest below the spout. The Sauceboats are a Paul Storr design and of a very good size, with wide proportions, and display a good crisp set of marks on the base. The work of John Houle, is always of the finest quality in both design and production, as he was apprenticed to the great Paul Storr. His first mark was entered in 1811 and he had workshops in Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell, when these important pieces were made.
The Crest is that as used by the Naper family. These Sauceboats formed part of an important silver Dining Service acquired by James Lennox William Naper (1791-1868) of the magnificent Loughcrew House, County Meath, (image shown), in Ireland, when he was 21. The service included pieces marked by Houle, William Burwash and William Elliott and Eley & Fearn. Harriette Wilson described Naper as a "Long-backed" fox hunting dandy worth £ 20,000 a year.
An identical pair, same date and maker came up at Bonhams in July 2004 and made £ 6,692.
Length: 8.5 inches, 21.25 cm.
Width, at the widest point: 4.75 inches, 11.88 cm.
Height, to the top of the handle: 5 inches, 12.5 cm.
Weight: 44.5 oz, the pair.
RELATED ITEMS
 of the magnificent Loughcrew House, County Meath, (image shown), in Ireland, when he was 21. The service included pieces marked by Houle, William Burwash and William Elliott and Eley & Fearn. Harriette Wilson described Naper as a "Long-backed" fox hunting dandy worth £ 20,000 a year.An identical pair, same date and maker came up at Bonhams in July 2004 and made £ 6,692.Length: 8.5 inches, 21.25 cm.Width, at the widest point: 4.75 inches, 11.88 cm.Height, to the top of the handle: 5 inches, 12.5 cm.Weight: 44.5 oz, the pair. ){kind=link}