This ivory handled dish epitomises the elegant French 'antique' style that is associated with the Regency of King George IV, and introduced into England at the start of the 19th century by the connoisseur Thomas Hope (d.1832). Hope's passion for antiquity was expressed in his novel Anastasius, London, 1819 a story of everyday life in ancient Greek. Moreover Hope's admiration for the antique style as popularised by his friend, the architect, Charles Percier in his publication Receuil de Décorations Interieurs, Paris, 1801 was reflected in his illustrated guide to the furnishings of his Duchess Street mansion museum of antiquities, entitled Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, London, 1807. Amongst his silver and bronze 'utensils' in the antique style was this 'ragout dish', which is illustrated on plate XLVII, (see below). Its shallow and elegantly curved bowl is fitted with a 'ram-rod' handle, that emerges from a palm-bud set with an applied spray of palmette-centered acanthus tendrils. The reeded ivory shaft terminates in a Bacchic ram's head like a rhyton or drinking horn. The animal-headed handle with reeded shaft relates to one of his chair patterns op. cit., pl. XXII, while the ram's head features on a stool pattern op. cit., pl. XXIX