A rare 17th century Taunton silver Beaker by Thomas Dare.

Taunton. \nA rare silver Beaker by Thomas Dare junior, circa 1675, the body with a band of floral decoration below the rim. Marked underneath with the Taunton 'T' and 'Tun' mark and the Dare's maker's mark several times. Engraved with owner's initals lightly on the base and with the vestiges of original pricked date and initials below the rim. \n \nFor the remarkable life of this silversmith, see T.A. Kent, 'When Goldsmiths Dare…', published by the Silver Society in 'The Proceedings of the Silver Society', Autumn 1984, pp82-87. The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, has a drawing in pastel and black chalk, almost certainly of Dare, in its collection [WA1940.50]. Kent tells the story of how the Parliamentarian Dare, prosecuted for his seditious remarks against the King, was arrested in February 1680 and subsequently imprisoned but later escaped and fled to Holland where he was given charge of the Duke of Monmouth's finances. He returned to England with the Duke's forces in 1685: only to be shot in a quarrel over a horse. \nA number of spoons by the Dare family survive but beakers and other hollow-wares are much rarer. Kent illustrates two beakers, two porringers and a wine-taster, formerly in the collection of G.S. Sanders but subsequently purchased by the Taunton museum, as well as a small wine cup on trumpet foot. Condition: \n

Good overall and of nice colour with some surface bruising and the original pricked date and initials partially rubbed.

Height - 10 cm.; Diameter - 8.40 cm.; Weight - 110 gms. \n