Paul Storr Silver Entrée Dish, 1801 Snow Leopard Handle

This is a splendid silver entrée dish made by the great Paul Storr.

Made at the dawn of the 19th century, this serving dish takes the usual form of conforming base and cover, with the highlight feature of a cast snow leopard handle. The leopard is superbly modelled with rib cage displayed to show leanness as it stands atop a crown. Adjacent to the handle is a finely engraved shield bearing a coat-of-arms with the snow leopard (an "ounce" in heraldic terms) portraying the family crest. The interior of the dish is further engraved to both top and base with the same leopard statant atop a crown crest.

Stylistically, the entrée dish is quite unusual in still observing the restrained fashions of the late 18th century whilst at the same time the leopard handle and gadroon borders are indicative of the burgeoning exuberant tastes of the Regency period. 

This is an early piece by Paul Storr who gained his freedom as a silversmith in May 1792 following his apprenticeship to Andrew Fogelberg. He had a short-lived (6 month) partnership with William Frisbee, before entering his own mark on January 12th 1793. He went on to become the prime supplier of opulent silver to Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, the Crown jewellers and secured his place as the greatest English silversmith of the 19th century. The entree dish is appropriately hallmarked three times, once to each component part, with a particularly crisp set of marks to the base.

As one would expect with a piece of Paul Storr silver, this entrée dish has an especially hefty feel and just oozes high quality. The condition is superb with some very minor scratches to the interior from use, a fine antique patina and nothing negative to report.

Provenance: The armorial bearings as engraved upon this George III silver entrée dish are those of the family of Knatchbull impaling Knatchbull. From the evidence of these impaled arms, interestingly this entrée dish would have been in the possession of one of two brothers who both married Knatchbull cousins, so they would have commemorated the marriage of either:

• Captain Charles Knatchbull, Royal Navy (1747 -1826), of Babington House, near Frome, Somerset and Frances Knatchbull (1764-1818) who married on the 31st July 1785. Charles was appointed a midshipman in the Royal Navy in 1769 and was promoted to the rank of Commander in 1779 and went on to serve at the capture of St. Eustatius in 1781. He saw action at both the Battle of Fort Royal and at the Battle of Chesapeake Bay in the same year. As rank of Captain, Charles went on to serve at the Battle of St Kitts and at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782. Charles returned to England in command of HMS Nymphe and resigned from the navy in 1783.
• Wyndham Knatchbull (1750-1833), of Russell Place in the County of Middlesex and Catherine Maria Knatchbull (1758- 1807) who married on 12th June 1790. Wyndham was a merchant presumably operating from his address in Gracechurch Street in the City of London.

A full professional report describing the arms on the entrée dish is available to the buyer.