84-piece George I Silver Rattail Canteen, London 1720's by Paul Hanet

84-piece Canteen of Silver Cutlery, London 1725 by Paul Hanet

The Service

We are proud to be offering an outstanding early 18th Century silver 12 place settings canteen of Hanoverian Rattail cutlery made by the important makler Paul Hanet. The service provides for the standard seven pieces for each of the 12 place settings.

The scarcity of services from such an early date cannot be underestimated and this is a particularly fine set with mostly straight runs of 12 and all in excellent condition.

All the pieces are in the expected design for the George I period – the 36 spoons are in Hanoverian Rattail, the 24 forks are 3-pronged Hanoverian and the 24 knives are pistol-handled. Of the 84 pieces, 72 date between 1719 and 1735 and the latest date of the remainder is 1770.

Each piece is in fantastic condition, which given their 300 year age is quite amazing. Most pieces from this period are well worn and used, but this service remains perfectly practicable for everyday or special occasion use.

The service consists mostly of straight dozens (i.e. all same date and maker) with the exception being the table forks which although near identical in appearance were made through the mid-18th century with the latest piece being hallmarked in London 1770. Each set is engraved with a crest (except the table forks which have no crest). The 24 knives have the same crest and are original to each other as are the 12 dessert spoons and dessert forks which are also hallmarked for the same date and maker and engraved with the same crest.

Hanoverian Rattail Pattern

Hanoverian Rattail was first in fashion between 1710 and 1730 and has been reproduced since the 1880’s. It was the first flatware pattern in the UK to be used for complete canteens. Due to its elegant lines and proportions it has continued to enjoy great popularity and is probably the most sought after traditional pattern. The spoons have the trademark rattail extension to the handle on the reverse side of the bowl, the forks had three tines and the knives had pistol-shaped handles.

Paul Hanet

As Huguenots, Paul Hanet's family escaped persecution in France when he was aged nine in 1686. He entered his first mark at Goldsmiths Hall London in 1716 and was one of the principal Huguenot spoonmakers of the George I period. His hand-crafted wares were always of the highest quality with an attention to good weight and balance. His entered two maker's marks at the assay office - the first two letters of his surname "HA" in association with the higher purity Britannia standard silver (compulsory until 1720) and the second, his initials "PH" from 1720 on Sterling standard silver. Most pieces in this service bear the latter, but all the table forks bear the former.

Components

This 84-piece service consists of the following:

12 Table Spoons – Hanoverian Rattail - London 1725 by Paul Hanet – 20.8cm long –engraved crest to the reverse terminal depicting a lion’s head – this is a fabulous dozen spoons in excellent original condition with unworn bowl tips (two spoons date from 1722 and were made in the Britannia standard).

12 Table Knives – Pistol handles with pistol-shaped blades – London c.1725 (unmarked) – 24.3cm long – engraved crest depicting an eagle with raised wings atop a crown – these knives have a good sturdy feeling in the hand. The stainless steel blades are a practicable, later addition which will have replaced the original carbon steel blades (these generally suffer from corrosion).

12 Dessert Knives – Pistol handles with scimitar-shaped blades – London c.1725 (unmarked) – 21.3cm long – engraved crest depicting an eagle with raised wings atop a crown. As with the matching table knives, these are very high quality knives in fine condition with later stainless steel blades.

12 Table Forks – Hanoverian 3-pronged - London 1719/20 – 19cm long –engraved armorial to reverse terminal. Made from the purer Britannia Standard silver, these table forks are in fine condition with equal length tines and a good patina.

12 Dessert Forks – Hanoverian 3-pronged - London 1725 – 16.1cm long – engraved crest to the reverse terminal depicting a lion’s head (matches the table spoons). Their condition is excellent with equal length tines.

12 Dessert Spoons – Hanoverian rattail - London 1725 – 17.3cm long – engraved crest to the reverse terminal depicting a cat’s face. Their condition is excellent with unworn bowls.

12 Teaspoons – Hanoverian rattail - London c1725 – 11.3cm long –engraved crest to the reverse terminal depicting a unicorn rampant. It is very rare to find a straight dozen teaspoons from this period. They just do not survive and sets are easily broken up with lost spoons. It is such a pleasure to have a straight set of 12 and in wonderful condition too. All the spoons are appropriately marked with a lion passant and maker’s mark for Paul Hanet and date from the 1720’s.

Total weight of weighable silver is 2610 grams (84 troy ounces) + 24 silver handled knives.

Condition

Excellent condition throughout with a fabulous 18th century patina. The bowls remain unworn, the tines are close to original lengths and the knives are sturdy. Pieces from this date are rarely found in such fine condition.

Presentation

This canteen is offered in a purpose made box by the prestigious London retailers – Garrard & Co. This is a fine quality box with brass hinges and carrying handles. The box will date from the mid-1960’s when the canteen was presumably assembled by Garrards. It has a little scratching, but is otherwise in fine condition.