14" Charles II Charger, 1661

Made in the first year of the Restoration of the monarchy, this superb survivor even pre-dates the Great Fire of London in 1666. Large pieces of 17th century silver were often melted down to be recycled in to the latest fashion and so rarely survive - this charger is 14" in diameter and the soft drinks can in photograph 3 gives some idea of scale - rarely do such large pieces appear on the market and most that have survived are in museum collections. The border of this plate is beautifully chased with a stunning chain of assorted flowers; each flower is repeated at the exact opposite side. The chasing is entirely original and typical of the early Carolean period.

A huge bonus with this piece is the fabulous condition; the chased decoration remains crisp throughout and other than a small amount of "wavy-ness" to the edges of the plate it is in excellent condition. The hallmarks are near pristine and clearly show the London date letter for 1661 and the HW maker's mark which is attributed to Henry Whittingham by David Mitchell in "Silversmiths in Elizabethan and Stuart London" on page 335.