Glasgow - a fine Scottish provincial lidded tankard
£12,125
Auction: 19 August 2013 at 15:00 BST
Description
Robert Luke, marked RL, Glasgow town mark, RL, S, the body of slight baluster form with engraved crest and twin initials 'AG / BC' below, the large S scroll handle with tapered rat tail and open foliate hinge, the domed cover with urn finial, all raised on a simple spreading foot, the base with engraved scratch weight '35"2'
Dimensions
21cm high, 35oz
Footnote
Notes:
Of the fifty two 1700 - 1725 tankards listed in 'Compendium of Scottish Silver' R. & J. Dieter, only seven of these are of provincial manufacture and all of those of Glasgow origin. This divide of Glasgow and Edinburgh seems surprising considering the booming wealth in the city at this time. It is however not surprising that the provincial examples are only recorded for Glasgow as commissions of this size and period would be extremely rare in other provincial locations.
All but two of the recorded Glasgow examples are by the Luke family of makers - three by Robert Luke and two by John Luke.
Large covered tankards such as this would have represented a large and valuable commission to an early 18th century goldsmith and would have been a high status object in a family collection.