LONDON.- The highly historic and impressive silver-gilt shield, which bears the Royal Arms of Ernst Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and King of Hanover (1771-1851), will take centre stage on the stand of Koopman Rare Art at TEFAF Maastricht 2019. It is described by Lewis Smith, Director of Koopman Rare Art as “the most spectacular example of Regency silver of all time” and has an asking price in the region of £5 million.

Alongside the Shield of Achilles, Koopman Rare Art is showing an exceptionally rare group of early antique silver dating from pre 1700. These include the following:

An important Charles II silver tazza made in London in 1683
Asking price in the region of £225,000
The centre of this highly ornate tazza is elaborately embossed with a scene of Alexander the Great meeting King Poros of India, while the broad rim has finely wrought scenes depicting Venus, Iris, Pluto, and Neptune in landscape. The round, domed foot bears similarly fine elaborate decoration of garlands of fruit between three oval reserves with amoretti. The maker’s marks are WF, thought to be that of William Fowle. A tazza by the same maker is in the so-called Calverley toilette service, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Diameter: 42cm, Height 12cm.

A large Elizabeth I ‘Armada’ dish.
Asking price in the region of £160,000
Made in London in 1586, this dish is a rare surviving example of the kind of functional, secular plate found listed in late 16th and early 17th century inventories. It is of a similar design to the dishes in the unique set, now known as the ‘Armada Service’, which was purchased in 1992 by the British Museum. Of plain circular form, with a moulded lip and raised centre, it bears the maker’s makr of three trefoils slipped. Although the name of the goldsmith whose mark was 'three trefoils slipped' has been lost, a number of significant examples of silver and silver-gilt bearing this mark have survived. Incredibly plain but striking, dishes like these tended to be melted down when money was required. This must have been made for an important, wealthy household. It measures 42cm in diameter.

An important silver gilt Spanish ewer made in Madrid in 1662-3
Asking price in the region of £150,000
This particularly unusual and highly decorative ewer is possibly by the silversmith Andres Sevillano.

An important Charles II London silver gilt wall light, circa 1670
Asking price in the region of £75,000
Made in London and bearing a crowned "S" maker's mark attributed to Robert Smythier, this magnificent, highly embossed decorative sconce was originally one of several of the same design in the Royal Household. The sconces were subsequently sold to the court goldsmiths Rundell Bridge & Rundell in 1808 for the bullion price when funds were required for more à la mode silver for the newly built Kensington Palace. Rundells, however chose not to melt the scones down recognising the premium of a Royal provenance. The sconces were duly sold to the Earl of Lonsdale who had his crest engraved upon the terminals in around 1808. This sconce appears to be the only example still with the original single-light branch.
Height 52.5cm; Width 44cm.

A Charles II circular silver tazza made in London in 1678
Asking price in the region of £38,000
The maker’s mark of this exquisite tazza is attributed to John Sutton. The tazza’s rim is embossed and chased with bold leaf scroll ornament and has crimped rim, while the centre is engraved with a pseudo-crest. It stands on a plain flared hollow footrim.
Diameter:14.75in, Height: 3.75in

A 15th Century French drinking bowl made in Avignon, circa 1470.
Asking price in the region of: £35,000
The centre of this parcel-gilt silver, drinking bowl is decorated with circular depressions of different diameters, which gives depth to the bowl and highlights the colour of the wine or whatever liquid it contained. Although extremely rare now, as so many bowls of this nature would have been melted down, in the 15th century they would have been prolific at noble feasts in the important European courts. By an unknown silversmith this remarkable bowl measures 21.7cm in diameter.

A unique James I silver wine cup, London 1614
Asking price in the region of £ £35,000
The maker’s mark is MB conjoined, a billet below, in plain shield, and believed to be possibly that of silversmith Mark Bingham. This elegant cup is engraved with flowers, arabesques and a crest prick-engraved with the initials 'TD' over 'I'. The cup sits on a tapering stem, the foot bearing gadroons and foliate decoration. Marked on the rim, the cup is also engraved under foot with an inventory number '5945'.
Height: 19.5cm.