Hester Bateman. A very fine George III Sweetmeat Basket made in London in 1786 by Hester Bateman.
Hester Bateman. A very fine George III Sweetmeat Basket made in London in 1786 by Hester Bateman.
374651
The Basket stands on an oval foot which is decorated with a beaded band and which is pierced with horizontal pails and roundels. The rim and arched swing handle are also decorated with applied beading and the main body is pierced with two bands of vitruvian scrolls, as well as stylised flower heads in ovals. The main body is also engraved with floral garlands and prick dot bands. The design of this piece is different to many examples, as the sides rise at a steeper angle, typical of the work of the Hester Bateman workshops. This piece is in excellent condition and is very well marked.
These baskets were used for sweetmeats which became popular in England at the end of the Seventeenth Century and were usually referred to as sweet confections. This concept originally began as a way of preserving fruit and nuts in sugar. Hester Bateman modelled her sweetmeat baskets as exact miniatures of her bread and cake baskets, however examples are scarce. A similar example is shown in "Hester Bateman" by David Shure.
Length: 6.25 inches, 15.63 cm.
Width: 4.75 inches, 11.88 cm.
Height, to the top of the handle: 5 inches, 12.5 cm.
Weight: 5oz.
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://marycooke.co.uk/british-silver-1760-1830/hester-bateman-a-very-fine-george-iii-sweetmeat-basket-made-in-london-in-1786-by-hester-bateman&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/marycooke-8876-Qfhef-OE67/stock/6346fa8583814_image_url_HPQ2B.jpg&description=The Basket stands on an oval foot which is decorated with a beaded band and which is pierced with horizontal pails and roundels. The rim and arched swing handle are also decorated with applied beading and the main body is pierced with two bands of vitruvian scrolls, as well as stylised flower heads in ovals. The main body is also engraved with floral garlands and prick dot bands. The design of this piece is different to many examples, as the sides rise at a steeper angle, typical of the work of the Hester Bateman workshops. This piece is in excellent condition and is very well marked.These baskets were used for sweetmeats which became popular in England at the end of the Seventeenth Century and were usually referred to as sweet confections. This concept originally began as a way of preserving fruit and nuts in sugar. Hester Bateman modelled her sweetmeat baskets as exact miniatures of her bread and cake baskets, however examples are scarce. A similar example is shown in "Hester Bateman" by David Shure.Length: 6.25 inches, 15.63 cm.Width: 4.75 inches, 11.88 cm.Height, to the top of the handle: 5 inches, 12.5 cm.Weight: 5oz.){kind=link}