David Foord-Brown Antiques

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Description:

A FINE  & RARE PAIR OF OLD SHEFFIED PLATE SILVER “JOLLY BOATS” Circa 1800

Each is modelled as a clinker-built jolly boat as used for sea work by Royal Navy during the 18th & 19th Centuries, used mainly to ferry personnel to and from the war ships. With wells for holding glass wine decanters and fittings for their stoppers, on a flat base for use at sea. The stern is engraved ‘The Jolly Boat’. 

This form of novelty decanter stand, sometimes mounted on wheels, is supposed to be the origin of the phrase: ‘Pushing the boat out’. Popular with naval officers, other documented examples belonged to Captain Henry Blackwood (1770-1832), Captain George Murray (1759- 1819) and Captain Frederick Maitland (1777-1839).

Further models of Jolly Boats are in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Maritime Museum Greenwich, and the Nelson Collection at Lloyd’s of London which has an example in silver dated 1799, said to have been presented by Nelson to his sailing master Thomas Atkinson (1767-1836) Engraved coronet & lion crest.. Length: 12.5in.

Similar Jolly boat shown in Gordon Crosskey, Old Sheffield Plate, Treffry Publishing, 2011 page 282, fig 334b.

Origin: English

Circa:1800

Width: 12.5 in. (32 cm.)

Stock Ref: AT68

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