Lot 347
GLASGOW - A rare Scottish provincial tumbler cup
Auction: Jewellery, Silver & Watches
Description
John Luke II, Glasgow 1700, marked Glasgow town mark, IL, date letter, simple plain form, with engraved initials M / WG / JB, with very slight everted rim
Dimensions
Height: 6.5cm, weight: 5.6oz
Footnote
Provenance :The David Constable Collection of Drinking Vessels & Wine Labels
Note:
John Luke II was part of the most influential Glasgow Goldsmithing families of the mid 17th century to early 18th century. The name Luke is synonymous with high quality silver ware in the city including many of the most important civic, university and sacramental silver commissions.
John Luke II was apprentice to James Stirling of Glasgow from the 1690's (the exact date unknown) and worked in his own right from 1699 until his death in 1713. Within this relatively short working career his hand is tied to many important commissions, coming from the family's highly regarded place within the trade, and he is seen making fine communion cups (such as those sold within these rooms from the Parish of West Kilbride), large tankards, mugs and tumbler cups.
This tumbler cup is among the earliest examples extant for Glasgow silver and also in the small group of tumbler cups from Scotland as a whole from 1700 or earlier. While the tumbler cup became standard within Scotland it does not appear as a prolific pattern until the mid 18th century and examples dated 1700 or earlier appear to number as few as nine or ten, with one other by John Luke II and the only pre dating the Glasgow example by Thomas Moncur circa 1680 which is now in the collection of Glasgow Museums