A Set of Four George III Silver Salts, Charles Kandler I, London, 1731

each bombé circular with molded scallop rims, the sides with swags of shells between three fully modeled twin-tailed mermaid supports, gilt interiors, marked on bases

Sotheby's, London, 7 November 1996, lot 199.

some marks worn and a little wear to gilding, slight wear to high spots, fin of one mermaid reattached but neatly done, good condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Dated 1731, these salts were made at the height of Palladian fashion, just two years after the completion of Chiswick House by Richard Boyle, 3^rd Earl of Burlington, and William Kent.  The bold modeling of the mermaid supports is evocative of the mermaid figures at the base of a candelabrum designed by Kent, engraved by Vardy and published in Some Designs of Inigo Jones and Mr. Wm. Kent, pl. 18.  In the 1740's, this salt design was reinterpreted by silversmiths such as David Hennell but with a rococo perspective.  A 1745 salt by Hennell, illustrated in Arthur Grimwade's Rococo Silver, (fig. 37A), features a more rococo spirit in the treatment of the mermaids, shells and rim and a similarly engraved bowl.  A 1740 design by Matthew Lock for a comparable salt supported on dolphins linked by swags of shells is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (see Rococo Silver, fig. 37C).