Pair of pepper casters
Cornelius Saunders & Frank Shepherd
Category
Silver
Date
1900 - 1902
Materials
Sterling silver
Measurements
95 x 50 mm
Place of origin
Birmingham
Order this imageCollection
Saltram, Devon
NT 872310
Summary
Pair of small pepper casters, sterling silver, by Cornelius Saunders and Francis Shepherd, Birmingham, 1900/1902. Each caster has an oval, lobed and bulbous body chased with flowers and foliage, a tapering neck rising to chased flowers and ribbons, a stepped foot and a pierced, domed cover with plain rim and flange and urn finial. Heraldry: Each caster is engraved on the neck with the crest of a lion rampant on a mount for an unidentified family. Hallmarks: One fully marked on the reverse of the neck with CS star FS for Cornelius Saunders and Francis Shepherd, anchor for Birmingham, sterling lion and date letter ‘a’ for 1900/1. The other bears the same marks on its underside but with the date letter ‘b’ for 1901/2, plus the sterling lion and date letter ‘b’ on the sleeve of the cover. The first caster may also be marked on the sleeve but the cover is stuck fast.
Full description
The engraved crest on the cover is similar but not identical to that on NT 872308, a mustard pot of 1899/1900. It does not seem to relate to any families closely connected to the Parkers, Earls of Morley and nor does it appear in key works on heraldry. The casters, along with the mustard pot, may have been a gift to, or purchase by, Montagu, 5th Earl of Morley (1878-1962).
Provenance
At Saltram by 1962 and given to NT as part of the endowment by Montagu Brownlow Parker, 5th Earl of Morley (1878-1962).
Credit line
Saltram, the Morley Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
Cornelius Saunders & Frank Shepherd, silversmith