Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu - 30th October 2018
Lot 1007
A rare George II silver molinet
Estimate £5,000 - £7,000 | Hammer £5000
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Description
A rare George II silver molinet,
by John Hugh Le Sage, London 1739,
pierced crown form on a circular base with a reeded border, tapering cylindrical mount with a turned wooden handle, length 33.5cm, approx. weight 8.6oz.
A molinet is a stirring rod normally for hot chocolate, which was put through the lid of the chocolate pot
See Clayton, M., The Collector's Dictionary of Silver and Gold of Great Britain and North America, Antique Collector's Club 1971, page 248, where he mentions while discussing molinets 'Another made by John Le Sage in 1739, has an ivory handle which may in fact be a replacement.'
A molinet of this date was possibly sold at Christie's in 1943.
A recent example of a molinet being sold at auction was a George I one by Anthony Nelme, London 1719, which came up at Denham's of Horsham, where if fetched £4600 hammer.