A Pair of Early George III Silver Double-lipped Sauce Boats, 1762

London, 1762

Maker's Mark of Parker & Wakelin

Total Combined Weight: 39 oz 8 dwt (1225gr)

Length: 21.2cm (8.35in)

engraved with slightly later arms and motto.

This rare pair of double-lipped silver sauceboats were made by the celebrated London silversmiths Parker & Wakelin, and represent an especially refined example silver from the early George III period . Their form is immediately striking: instead of the more common single-spouted design, each vessel features two elegantly flared lips, allowing sauce to be poured from either side. This uncommon configuration not only marks them as functional innovations of their time but also lends the pieces a pleasing visual symmetry.

The vessels are richly ornamented yet remain balanced and harmonious. Each rim is finished with crisp gadrooned edging, a hallmark of 18th-century taste, while the bodies are draped with applied rope-twist swags that loop gracefully around the surface and terminate in neatly rendered knots and medallions. This rope motif is echoed in the sculptural handles, which rise from the center with a wrapped appearance that ties together the decorative scheme.

Parker & Wakelin formed part of one of the most important and famous silversmithing dynasties in English history. The firm originated with George Wickes in 1722. The partnership of Parker & Wakelin occupies an important place in the history of 18th-century English silver, standing as one of the principal successors to the influential workshop lineage that began with the celebrated silversmith George Wickes. Their story is one of continuity, refinement, and the maintenance of exceptionally high standards in an era when London silver reached some of its greatest artistic heights.

The origins of the firm trace back to George Wickes, who established his St. Martin’s Lane workshop in the 1720s. Wickes quickly became renowned for his sophisticated Rococo designs and attracted elite clientele, including members of the British aristocracy and even foreign royalty. Upon his retirement in 1760, he passed this flourishing business to his trusted apprentices and journeymen, most notably John Parker and Edward Wakelin, who had already become central figures within the workshop. Their formal partnership, styled Parker & Wakelin, took over the premises and continued the traditions of excellence that Wickes had cultivated.

Parker and Wakelin were not merely caretakers of Wickes’s legacy; they were innovators in their own right. The firm's output during the 1760s and 1770s reflects a transition in English taste from the exuberance of the Rococo toward the cleaner, more architectural lines of early Neoclassicism. Their work is characterized by precise craftsmanship, harmonious proportions, and ornament that, while often elaborate, was always controlled and technically superb. They produced a wide array of domestic silver—from tableware and tea services to large presentation pieces—and their clientele included some of the most powerful families in Britain.

A distinctive hallmark of the firm was its ability to maintain the highest standards even as tastes shifted dramatically. Wakelin in particular was known for his organizational acumen and skill in managing the workshop’s many craftsmen, while Parker brought artistic sensitivity and technical mastery to the partnership. This combination allowed the firm to thrive in a competitive market and to deliver silver distinguished by both stylistic sophistication and uncompromising quality.

In 1776, the firm evolved again when John Wakelin (Edward's son) entered into partnership with William Taylor, leading to the next chapter of the workshop’s history under the name Wakelin & Taylor.