Silver Soup Tureen by Paul de Lamerie

This soup tureen by Paul de Lamerie, considered one of the greatest silversmiths in history, displays the graceful and lavish Rococo detailing that he made famous. Elaborate decorations including shells, scrolling handles and lion’s heads attest to de Lamerie’s artistic genius and skill, as does an intricately engraved family crest on its base. Beautifully representing this master craftsman’s unrivaled ability to create dramatic silver masterpieces, this tureen is extremely rare due to its size, and large pieces such as this are highly sought by collectors. 

Paul de Lamerie’s work, characterized by technical superiority and ingenious design, was often commissioned by members of the English nobility and the Russian aristocracy. This vessel bears the arms of Thomas Atherton Powys, 3rd Baron Lilford, who served as a Lord-in-Waiting from 1837 to 1841 in the Whig administration of Lord Melbourne. He was the father of Thomas Littleton Powys, 4th Baron Lilford, a prominent British ornithologist and one of the eight founders, and later president, of the British Ornithologists’ Union in 1858.

An almost identical tureen is pictured in Beyond the Maker’s Mark: Paul de Lamerie Silver in the Cahn Collection by Ellenor Alcorn.

Hallmarked London, 1741

17 1/2” wide x 10 1/4" deep x 11” high