Samuel Courtauld Tea Caddy, 1755

This is a lovely George II silver tea caddy made by the highly regarded silversmith Samuel Courtauld I. The caddy is in the rococo taste exemplified by the asymmetric scrolling to the expertly chased decoration. There is a pull-off cover and to the cartouche is engraved a coat-of-arms. A full set of hallmarks can be found to the underside of the foot and the condition is excellent.

Samuel Courtauld I was born in 1720 and the son of the Huguenot silversmith Augustine Courtauld. He was apprenticed to his father and was left the entire contents of his father's workshop in his will. He entered his first mark at Goldsmiths Hall in 1746 and died in 1765, to be succeeded in business by his widow Louisa Courtauld.