When does a good pair of George lll sauce boats turn into an extraordinary piece of Americana? When it belonged to a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
This pair of silver sauce boats, featured as lot 675 in our upcoming October 29-30th auction, with an estimate of $1,000 – $1,500, were made for and originally owned by one of America’s founding fathers, Chief Justice of Delaware and United States Senator George Read (1733-1798). Read’s signature can be found on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Original Petition to the King of the Congress of 1774. Both of the sauce boats are engraved with his initials and his family’s armorial.
Read was a great American patriot who recruited soldiers to protect America from invading British forces. He envisioned America, at the time of the Revolution, as a larger, more competitive country, a land without poverty or internal conflict. He advocated for the formation of a national central government, a national bank, and a new constitution.
The sauce boats are of typical Georgian form with a gadrooned rim, double scroll handles and shell-backed scroll feet. They descended directly through Read’s family, traveling from England to America to France, then back to America in the 1960s. A French import mark is rubbed on one of them.
Both of the boats are engraved with this message:
This Gravy Boat was made in 1763 by Danl. Smith and Rob. Sharp Westmorland Buildings, London, who were makers of the pair of Tankards for Trinity College, Oxford exhibited at South Kensington Museum 1862.
However, the makers may not be Daniel Smith and Robert Sharp Westmorland. These silversmiths weren’t entered into the Gild until 1781, and the boats bear the date mark of 1763.
Both of the boats are engraved with this message as well:
This belonged to the Hon. George Read of Delaware 1733-1798, (son of Col. John Read 1688-1756) Royal Attorney General 1763-1774 Author of Addresses to the King from Del. Legislature also of first Constitution & first edition of Laws of Delaware, one of the two Statesmen and the only Southern Statesman who signed the three great State papers on which our history is founded, viz: the Original Petition to the King of the Congress of 1774, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He was more-over President & Chief Justice of Delaware, Judge of the National Court of Appeals in Admiralty, and United States Senator twice elected. This silver was inherited by his son the Hon. John Read 1769-1854, by his grandson the Hon. John Meredith Read Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, and by his great grandson, General John Meredith Read.
View the catalogue description for lot 675 in our October 29-30th fine auction >
View October 29-30th Sale Information & Preview >
For inquiries regarding lot 675 or other items in this sale please contact us at 518-751-1000 or info@stairgalleries.com.
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