A RARE LONDON BROWN STONEWARE TANKARD AND HINGED COVER, WITH SILVER MOUNT EARLY 18TH CENTURY |

of cylindrical form stamped to the left of the handle with an excise mark of a crowned WR monogram in a seal, the silver mount engraved with the crest of a lion rampant holding a sword aloft, the mount unmarked.

Phillips London, June 8, 1994, lot 169 (part)
Jonathan Horne, London, October, 1994
Vogel Collection no. 602.01

In overall good appearance and 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.

The Act for 'Ascertaining the Measures for retailing Ale and Beer' became operational in September 1700 when the Commissioners of Excise issued to local authorities the standardized pint and quart measures with which ale mugs were to be compared and subsequently marked with a crowned WR mark. Although the capacities of stoneware mugs were difficult to judge before firing, and attempts were made to deliberately cheat by heavy potting and the inclusion of false bottoms, excise marks were applied to brown stoneware from 1700 to the end of the eighteenth century. The procedure is discussed by Adrian Oswald et al., English Brown Stoneware 1670-1900, London, 1982, p. 278, where illustrations of varying excise marks found on excavated wasters are included. The excise mark on the present tankard corresponds to a waster found at Vauxhall dateable to the early 18th century.