A William and Mary English provincial silver porringer, Gabriel Felling, Bruton, Somerset, circa 1690

on spreading circular foot, the slightly tapering body engraved one one side with the initials FW in monogram within an elaborate cartouche of tasselled ribbon-tied foliate branches, scroll handles, the underside engraved with the initials 'A*W,' struck with Felling's GF mark in a plain rectangle

The Property of the Trustees of the Rochdale Will Trust, sold
Sotheby's, London, 18 June 1981, lot 183

T.A. Kent, ‘Gabriel Felling, Goldsmith of Bruton,' The Proceedings of the Society of Silver Collectors, 1976-1976, vol. II, nos. 11/13, London, Spring 1982, p. 221, fig. 362
Vanessa Brett, The Sotheby's Directory of Silver, 1600-1940, London, 1986, p. 137, no. 484

Very nice gauge and hammering to surface. Chased/engraved armorials typical of Felling and in crisp condition. Handle junctions a little crude, one (upper) probably repaired. Makers mark clearly stamped once to underside. Good overall.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The scarcity and excellence of Gabriel Felling’s work long ago attracted the attention of collectors of old silver. It was Timothy A. Kent, the specialist in the history of England’s West Country goldsmiths, however, who was the first to investigate his elusive, London-trained plateworker. In his article, ‘Gabriel Felling, Goldsmith of Bruton’ (The Proceedings of the Society of Silver Collectors, 1976-1976, vol. II, nos. 11/13, London, Spring 1982, pp. 219-221), he traces his career from his first known appearance in London in 1676, when he was working for John Cassan of Drury Lane, a silversmith to Charles II, to his removal to the Somersetshire market town of Bruton by the spring of 1678. From then until his death in 1714 he produced a remarkable group of tankards, cups and other items, many of which are engraved in a manner unique to Felling’s workshop. On this point, Mr. Kent ends his article: ‘one wonders whether this [engraving] was executed by Gabriel Felling himself. If not, the work might have been carried out by [the London-trained engraver] Roger Couzens of Crewkerne. . . . Gabriel Felling was obviously a talented workman and his products are of considerable quality and interest.’