MARK OF FRANCOIS VAN STAPELE, THE HAGUE, 1751

François van Stapele was born in 1698 in Den Bosch and settled in the Hague in 1720, where he became a master in 1723. During the course of his long life he variously served as deacon, assay master and governor of the guild several times. He was one of the most important silversmiths of The Hague and was instrumental in the establishment of what was to become a distinct Hague style of Rococo. The Hague style was typified by a restrained use of ornament, as distinct from the exuberance of the French form of rococo as shown by designer silversmiths such as Juste-Auréele Meissonnier. A similar pair of sauceboats by van Stapele is in the collection of Gemeentemuseum, The Hague (inv. Nos. 1001336 and 0154975) and another pair were sold Christie's Amsterdam, 6 December 2000, lot 370.