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Lot Essay
This flagon, along with four silver-gilt cups and covers, three silver-gilt pots and a silver charger was stolen from St. Martin-in- the-Fields in 1649. Of this group only the present lot was ever recovered, appearing in an inventory at the end of the 1650-1651 account book as 'Item One belly flaggon and guilt', and again in another inventory of 'The Church Plate in the Iron Chest', dated 25 March 1684 as 'The Wholly Guilt fflagon 81 ounces 15d:weight'.
The foot was heightened in 1726 by the silversmith William Darker whose address at this time is recorded as 'at the Rose, over against St. Martin's Lane in ye Strand'. The work was part of an order 'to Mr. Darker Goldsmith for Gilding and Altering the Communion plate and New Plate in exchange for old' which was settled with a payment of £64.15s made on 11 November 1726 and undertaken to prepare for the opening of the new church in October of that year. The distinctive domed foot was added to this flagon so that it matched the feet on a pair of flagons made by Darker as part of that order, while the handles on the 1726 flagons would seem to be inspired by that on the current example.
The foot was heightened in 1726 by the silversmith William Darker whose address at this time is recorded as 'at the Rose, over against St. Martin's Lane in ye Strand'. The work was part of an order 'to Mr. Darker Goldsmith for Gilding and Altering the Communion plate and New Plate in exchange for old' which was settled with a payment of £64.15s made on 11 November 1726 and undertaken to prepare for the opening of the new church in October of that year. The distinctive domed foot was added to this flagon so that it matched the feet on a pair of flagons made by Darker as part of that order, while the handles on the 1726 flagons would seem to be inspired by that on the current example.