A George III Irish Silver Tray, James le Bas Dublin 1825
£0
A very fine Irish Georgian twin handled silver tea or drinks tray with shell and scroll corners and gadrooned edges. The cast and applied handles with sheaves of leaves and shell and anthemion decoration. The central plate engraved with an armorial of three pears beneath two lions rampant within a shield and the French inscription: Dieu Defend le Droit which translates as: God Defends Right.
Marked to the underside for Dublin 1825 by James le Bas.
The armorial to the central plate are the arms and crest of those of Perrott, of Cleve hill and Castle Lyons, County Cork. Samuel Perrott settled there in 1770 having been born in 1737 and marrying on the 29th of November 1796, Mary daughter of Samuel Willie of Yeovil, and died leaving three sons. As there are no arms impaled it could’ve been anyone of these three sons to whom the crest belonged. Most of the Perrotts use the crest of a parrot holding a pear, save, it seems only this branch. There is no motto recorded for them in Burke’s Landed Gentry, but this is not important and they could’ve used anything they fancied.
This is an historically important and extremely unusual Irish silver tray of museum quality by James le Bas, the premier silversmith in Ireland during the early part of the 19th century. With exceptional weight and construction this is one of the finest pieces of Irish domestic silverware you’re likely to find. Absolutely original condition without any signs of damage or repair. All marks are clearly struck. Wonderful colour and patina.
Length over handles: 75cm or 29.5 inches
Width: 48cm or 19 inches
