A rare early 18^th century Czech silver ewer and basin, Prague 1718 by Jan George Lux (active 1695-1724)

the ewer of shaped panelled form upon a screw fitted square pedestal base with re-entrant corners, with a shaped central knop. The up-turned scroll handle with a faceted knop adjoining a central girdle. The basin of shaped rectangular form with incurved corners and a moulded rim. The ewer and basin with flat chased decoration of bands of strapwork scrolls and harebells against a matted ground. Marked to the ewer either side of handle and edge of basin with Austrian Empire town mark and maker’s mark I G over L in a shield shaped punch (Hráský p.143). Each also marked with the Prague 1810-24 ecclesiastical tax exemption mark. (2)

Ewer height – 20 cm / 7.9 inches

Basin length – 33.5 cm / 13.25 inches

Weight – 1169 grams / 37.58 ozt

Early Prague silver is a particular rarity, for this maker see: Josef Hráský, Zlatníci pražského baroka, Prague, 1987, p. 143

for a pair of candlesticks of 1708 by this maker, sold Sotheby’s London, 29 April 2014, lot 409 (£2500 hammer)