Mahafjfv— The Post- Assaying on Dated Plate in T. C. D. 43 



strictly in the style of about 1700, so much so that I was able to guess 

 that the cup given by Peter Ludlow, and inscribed 1791, must have been 

 misdated a century by the engraver, and that it really came from 1701, 

 when the only Peter Ludlow we ever had on the books was just taking his 

 degree, and in this case the fluted surface of the object allowed the assayer to 

 scrape it without injuring a smooth surface. I hold that this is the case with 

 the two soup tureens and covers given by Bishop FitzGerald (of Clonfert) in 

 1722. They are certainly wholly different from the style of 1750-60, and 

 were, I hold, not remade, but only assayed at the latter date. But in the 

 ease of the many salvers we possess which have plain marks of post-assaying, 

 Mr. Westropp holds that the style of these objects is not the style of 1700, 

 but that of 1750-70. In most of these cases his negative opinion has 

 clearly been proved right by the document I found and have cited ; and yet, 

 in spite of his great knowledge, I am disposed to join issue with him here on 

 some points. His most definite argument is that our large salvers would 

 have been set on one central foot or support, as in the case with our 

 Abercorn salvers of 1705, and not on four lions' claw feet. Our modern 

 form of salt-cellar, which replaced a larger " salt," as it was called, indicates 

 the same change. But I do not think we have evidence that this change 

 was not as old as 1707, when one such salt-cellar is dated. That salvers 

 should have commonly assumed the form of flat silver plates with a 

 decorated border, is obvious from the fact that we have patens and alms- 

 plates in the chapel, dating from 1666, which are in that form. It is not 

 impossible that claw feet may have been added in some cases afterwards ; but 

 the existence of an elaborate inscription on the back of the Huntingdon 

 salver, which dates from 1692, on a surface which bears clear marks of post- 

 assaying — this instance proves to me at least that a central foot never 

 formed part of it. 



There is no greater satisfaction than having a conjecture supported by 

 subsequent expert evidence. In reply to a note from my friend, Mr. West, to 

 Messrs. Crichton, of Bond Street, they say : " We have seen salt-cellars about 

 1720 with three legs, and salvers as early as William and Mary with four 

 legs, but we think the three-legged salvers must have come in between 

 1720 and 1730." This agrees exactly with the date of our early gifts. Our 

 two large salvers, given 1692 and 1713, are on four legs; our earliest dated 

 salt-cellars are of 1707 In these eases, therefore, any theory regarding style 

 is not conclusive, and such theory must sometimes be modified in the face of 

 the facts adduced. The experts think they can distinguish the crowned harp 

 of 1750-60 from that of 1730-40, and appeal to the pictures of these marks 

 given in Jackson's well-known book. So long as I thought that the Hibernia 



