A set of William and Mary silver nesting beakers and spice box, FS over S crowned, circa 1690

The beakers:

Christie's, London, 6 July 1977

How of Edinburgh, London, 18 August 1981

The spice box:

Sotheby's, London, 11 November 1971

S.J. Shrubsole, New York, 24 April 1973

Sotheby's, London, 20 November 1980

The FS over S mark is yet to be identified but is associated with exceptionally fine engraved ornament including scrolling foliage inhabited by figures or animals. Other examples of his work include a cup and cover at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; a pair of two-handled cups and covers at Temple Newsam House, Leeds, and a teapot in The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Of the twenty or so pieces noted with this maker's mark only two are accompanied by hallmarks, on both of which the mark seems to be overstriking another. This, the resemblance of his mark to those from some French provincial towns and the French form and decoration of some of his work has led to the prevailing belief that FS over S maker was an immigrant silversmith working in London.

The engravings may be derived from Simon Gribelin, whose designs first appeared in London in 1682 (Yvonne Hackenbrock, 'Gribelin's Designs Engraved on English Silver' Connoisseur, 168, no.676 (1986), pp.136-144). Efforts to identify the engraver suggest it may be the unidentified master H.R., who was responsible for the richly decorated table top in the royal collection, Queen's Gallery, Windsor Castle (inventory RCIN 35301). (Ellenor Alcorn, English Silver in the MFA Boston, Vol.1, 1993, pp.181-2).