Maker’s mark of George Wickes

London, 1742

Length: 21.4 cm, 8 3/8 in

Weight: 1,248 g, 40 oz

Engraved with the crest for the Best Family, Boxley Kent Almost certainly for James Best (d. 1782)

These magnificent sauceboats were made in London in 1742 by George Wickes, one of the foremost silversmiths of the mid-18th century. They are richly adorned with exuberant Rococo ornamentation and stand on three lion’s-paw feet that rise to finely cast and applied lion’s heads. The bodies are embellished with cast and applied floral garlands set against a stippled ground, enhancing their striking three-dimensional effect. Remarkably, the sauceboats have survived in exceptional condition, with all details remaining crisp and sharply defined. They rank among the very finest examples produced in London during the 1730s and 1740s and are comparable, if not superior, to similar pieces in major museum collections.

Provenance 

The arms are those of James Best (1720-82) who owned the Chatham brewery and house, and Park House, Boxley. Mawdistly Best, James father, bought the Park House estate at Boxley near Maidstone in 1720. Park House was probably not, at that time, particularly large, but it was a freehold property, and coupled with the family's income from the brewery, was sufficient to see Mawdistly appointed as High Sheriff of Kent in 1730-31. Mawdistly, who continued to buy scattered lands in west Kent, died in 1744, only four years after his father. He left two surviving sons: Thomas Best (1713-95) and James Best (1720-82). Thomas was educated as a gentleman and became MP for Canterbury in 1741. He inherited most of his father's lands at Aylesford, Headcorn and elsewhere, though not the Park House estate, and his marriage to Carolina Scott, an heiress of the gentry family of Scott's Hall (Kent), perhaps provided the means for him to purchase Chilston Park near Lenham (Kent) in 1746. Thomas and Carolina had no children, so at his death in 1795, Chilston passed to his nephew George Best (1759-1818), who was the youngest son of his brother James. Mawdistly's younger son, James Best (1720-82), inherited the Chatham brewery, his father's house there, and the Park House, Boxley property. His father had intended to rebuild his house in Chatham but died before doing so. James realised his plans, although work seems to have proceeded slowly, beginning in the 1740s but only being completed in 1758, and the result was the imposing Chatham House, which stood on the High Street at the front of the brewery site. The brewery seems to have been his principal focus of interest, and during the forty years when he was the proprietor, the firm greatly expanded, investing in new technology and improved brewing techiques, and achieved its greatest prosperity. At the end of his life, he was planning to embark on overseas exports of the firm's beer, but although his sons put this plan into action after his death it was not a success and was quickly abandoned. James married a daughter of Richard Shelley of Michelgrove, and they had ten children, including five sons, one of whom died young. The eldest son, Thomas Best (1753-1815), inherited Park House, Boxley. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge, and became an officer in the West Kent militia, but he was not left a share of the brewery. That was divided among the three younger sons: James (1755-1828), Richard (1757-1801) and George (1759-1818).

George Wickes 

George Wickes (1698–1761) stands as one of the most influential English silversmiths of the eighteenth century, a figure whose work helped define the aesthetic direction of Georgian luxury arts. As both a master craftsman and a successful businessman, Wickes played a central role in shaping the stylistic evolution from late Baroque formality to the lighter, more fluid Rococo style that blossomed in mid-century Britain. Wickes began his professional life as an apprentice to Samuel Wastell and received his freedom of the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1720. The early decades of his career show a swift ascent: by the 1730s he had secured premises on Panton Street near St. James’s, an area already associated with fashionable artisans and wealthy clientele. His craftsmanship earned him widespread admiration. Wickes possessed an exceptional eye for proportion, favouring forms that were at once sculptural and restrained. Even his most lavish objects exhibit an underlying elegance that avoids excess while embracing the ornamental richness of the period. The Rococo style, newly imported from the Continent, found in Wickes a particularly adept interpreter. His designs incorporated asymmetrical scrolls, floral garlands, naturalistic shells, and spirited animal motifs, all executed with remarkable finesse. Yet his work never loses its architectural clarity; beneath the playfulness lies a strong sense of design discipline. In 1735, Wickes received one of the ultimate endorsements for an English silversmith: he was appointed Goldsmith to Frederick, Prince of Wales. This royal patronage not only elevated his social standing but also brought a steady stream of prestigious commissions. Throughout the 1740s and 1750s, his workshop produced pieces for the aristocracy and affluent gentry, including large-scale dinner services. Many pieces by him remain in major museum and private collections today. Wickes was not only an artist but also an entrepreneur. His workshop became a training ground for some of the greatest silversmiths of the next generation, including Samuel Courtauld and John Parker. Through careful delegation and an early form of workshop specialisation, Wickes developed an efficient production model that allowed him to meet the growing demand for luxury silver. In 1760, shortly before his retirement, he sold his business to John Wakelin and William Taylor, whose firm, Wakelin & Taylor, later merged into what would become