Scallop shell
Category
Silver
Date
circa 1756
Materials
Silver
Measurements
1.9 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm
Order this imageCollection
Ickworth, Suffolk
NT 852186.1
Caption
Silver scallop shells were made since at least the Restoration. This shell, one from a set of six, was probably made in Turin around 1756. These scallop sets were most often used for oyster recipes, which would have been cooked and served in them, as is still the case with natural shells in French cuisine today.
Summary
One of six scallop shells, silver, probably Turin, circa 1756. The shell-shaped dish with flat end grip is raised and has chased, fanning flutes. Heraldry: The dish is engraved on the end grip with the Hervey crest beneath an earl’s coronet. Hallmarks: None.
Full description
For further detail see master object entry.
Provenance
George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol (1721-75); by descent to the 4th Marquess of Bristol (1863-1951); accepted by the Treasury in lieu of death duties in 1956 and transferred to the National Trust.
Credit line
Ickworth, the Bristol Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
Underside: Scratchweight: ‘N1 5=9’
References
James Rothwell, Silver for Entertaining: The Ickworth Collection. Philip Wilson Publishers, 2016, p. 147