世嘉中控改装图片:Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751)

On 14 April 1688 Paul Jacques de Lamerie, a son of Paul Souchay de la Merie and Constance nee Roux, Huguenots, was baptized at the Waloon Church in Bois-le-Duc (modern 's Hertogenbosch), Holland. The Waloon Church (French: église Wallonne; Dutch: Waalse kerk) is Calvinist church building in the Netherlands and its former colonies whose members originally came from the Southern Netherlands and France and whose native language is French. Members of these churches belong to the Walloon Reformed Church which is long-distinguished from the Low German or Dutch-speaking Dutch Reformed Church.

His father, Paul Souchay de la Merie, had been a officer in the army of William III of Orange (1650-1702) after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes expelled the Huguenots from France in 1685. In February 1686, he was paid off and released from the army along with many others.

By the time they had their only son baptized, they had made the decision to leave the Netherlands and follow William III of Orange to England during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This fact was evidenced by their request for a copy of his entry in the baptismal register which would be needed to prove their son's identity on arrival in England.

He was brought to England by his parents at the age of eleven and a half months. The family settled in Berwick Street in the heart of Soho, the district having been taken over mostly by French Huguenot refugees.

On 24 June 1703 he was endenizened with his father. Denization is an obsolete process in English Common Law, dating from the 13th century, by which a foreigner became a denizen, gaining some privileges of a British subject, including the right to hold English land. Denization occurred by a grant of letters patent, an exercise of the royal prerogative and denizens paid a fee and took an oath of allegiance to the crown. The de Lameries had never applied to be denizened without funds however it was necessary to endenize to allow young Paul de Lamerie to take up an apprenticeship.


Wine Fountain by Pierre Plate, 1713. H: 64cm, W: 41.4cm, 12.8kg. This wine fountain would have been prominently displayed on a sideboard. It was used to rinse wine glasses before they were refilled to guests at the dining table. The maker, Pierre Platel, was a prestigious Huguenot goldsmith to whom Paul de Lamerie, later the most successful smith in London, was apprenticed. Victoria & Albert Museum.On 6 August 1703 he aprenticed without premium to Huguenot silversmith Pierre Platel, when his father is described as 'Of the perish of St. Anne's Westminster Gent'. His father applied to the Huguenot relief fund (a community church-based charity) for the ￡6 he had to hand over to Pierre Platel to take Paul de Lamerie on. Only when the money had been obtained did Platel sign the indenture of apprenticeship.

Pierre Platel (1664-1719), born as a member of an aristocratic family in Lille, arrived in England along with his brother in 1688, after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. In 1699 he registered his mark as a 'largeworker' by Redemption, i.e by payment rather than by serving his apprentiship at Goldsmiths' Hall. A leading craftsman and member of the London Huguenot silversmithing community, a French expatriate group known for its advanced technical expertise. Pall Mall 'over by the Duke of Schomberg' where Pierre Platel set up his shop (and he probably lived there) was a remarkable address, testifying to his business acumen and solid finances. Platel apprenticed only four boys during his working life and it was enigma why he agreed to take on Paul de Lamerie, aged 15, on the 24th of June 1703.

Based on Pierre Platel's tutelage Lamerie created silver of exceptional craftsmanship.

In 1711 he had served his time. He started to work on as a journeyman at Pierre Platel' shop while he saved money and made arrangements to receive his freedom by service. During the period until his mark registered, there were some invoices proving that Paul de Lamerie was dotting about London selling large and expensive silver items to the nobility. Paul de Lamerie, at age 25, already established excellent customer relationship with high net worth individuals serving in Platel's shop at Pall Mall.

In 1712 he became a Freeman of the City of London.

On 4 February 1713 Paul de Lamerie became Free and registered his mark at Goldsmiths' Hall, which was formed from the first two letters of his surname "LA" surmounted by a crown and a fleur-de-lis below reflected his French origin, with his address "Windmill Street, near the Haymarket".

In 1714 the court at Goldsmith' Hall fined him ￡20 (worth over 3000 pounds now) because of his duty dodging. At that time every ounce of silverware passed for hallmarking at Assay office was taxed by the government, one of the few taxes at the time, and this tax was bitterly resented by both goldsmiths and their customers. A large amount of pieces by Paul de Lamerie are not marked other than with his own maker's mark, proving he was avoiding the duty and selling to people who trusted him to provide them with objects of superior fineness. Futhermore he didn't make silverware by himself, rather he took in work from anonymous French silversmiths working in the back streets of London and had it hallmarked as his own. By the summer of 1715, he was back up before the court because he 'covered Foreigners work and got ye same toucht at ye Hall'. Other Huguenot goldsmiths got into trouble for this too, but no one on the scale of Lamerie. He was up before the court for it again in 1716.

His duty dodging system organizing foreigners silversmiths and his customers made considerable money for him.

Within 4 years after his mark registration, he had established him sufficiently to open a shop and workshop at the sign of the Golden Ball in Windmill Street. Taking on 13 apprentices between the periods of 1716 to 1749. His stock now included jewellery as well as Silverware of which he continued to make traditional plain designs of the English Queen Anne style.

In 1716 he was appointed as a Goldsmith to the King (Major-General H. W. D. Sitwell. 'The Jewell House and the Royal Goldsmiths' Arch. Journ. CXVII, p. 152). In 1717 he was again charged with 'making and selling Great quantities of Large Plate which he doth not bring to Goldsmiths' Hall to be mark't according to Law.' He was undoubtedly convinced criminal.

On 11 February 1717 at the age of 28, he married Louise Jolliott of St. Giles in the Fields, at Glasshouse Street Church with licence of Archbishop of Canterbury. He applied, through the Vicar-General's office, to the Archbishop of Canterbury for what today would be called a special marriage licence. The application for a licence means Lamerie was not a churchgoer. He wasn't interested in attending for the reading of the banns and general obedience marrying in a Huguenot church required. Either that or he was desperate to marry.

From this time on, he is rated for two neighbouring properties in Windmill Street.

In 1718 their first daughter Margaret was born and baptized at St James' Church in Piccadilly, and Anglican church. This proved that Lamerie had little interest in his Huguenot background. To them six children were born: Margaret 1718, Mary 1720, Paul 1725, Daniel 1727, Susannah 1729 and Louisa Elizabeth 1730. Only Mary, Susannah and Louisa survived infancy.

On 18 July 1717 he joined to the Livery Company. The Livery is the first stage of the upper hierarchy of the Goldsimiths' Company.

In 1719 it was the first important piece of work that a large wine-cistern hallmarked for 1719 commissioned by 1st Duke of Sutherland was made.

Walpole Salver by Paul de Lamerie and engraved by William Hogath, 1727. The Vistoria & Albert Museum.It was also at this time, about 1720, that De Lamerie met and started working with William Hogarth (1697-1764), who was possibly the finest engraver of the 18th century. The 'Hogarthian' style of engraving had a huge impact on the pieces designed and made by, not just Paul de Lamerie, but most other silversmiths from this period.

On 1 June 1720 a new tax of sixpence an ounce was levied on all new plate, as a result of this new tax, a number of working Goldsmith's including Paul de Lamerie, adopted the practice of removing hallmarks from smaller objects, and incorporating them into heavier and more important pieces, thus avoiding both necessity of submitting them to be assayed or "touched" and the payment of duty became known as "Duty – Dodgers". Some two hundred years later the suspisions of the London Assay Office were aroused concerning the legality of an important basin and ewer made by de Lamerie was heated, a circle of Silver containing the hallmarks dropped out.

In August 1726, officials from Goldsmiths' Hall tried to seize the cargo ship near Customes House, which was of Robert Dingley, a City-based goldsmith and jeweller, who had connections to the Russian court. The large cargo loaded huge amount of ordered silverware for the smuggling trades avoiding the Assay duty. However Paul de Lamerie was a step ahead of them. He had probably been tipped off by someone at the Hall. Dingley was waiting for the officials and took them to the Vine Tavern in Thames Street to discuss the matter, as the ship was moored nearby. As soon as they were inside, the ship sailed for Russia and Goldsmiths' Hall were thwarted. Dingley was brought before Guildhall court, where he testified that the 18,000 ozs of the Czarina's plate were all properly hallmarked. (Today we can check that most of the Czarina's silver collection in Hermitage Museum are not hallmarked and more than half of them bears only the maker's mark of Paul de Lamerie.) This fact was described in the court records.

In 1731, he was made Assistant to the court, the governing body of the Goldsmiths' Company, 'on condition that he paid a fine of forty pounds cash to the use of the company'...'

In 1732, he decided to abandon the Britannia standard for his products, which he had continued to work for apealing his products' superior fineness long after it had ceased to be a legal requirement in 1720.

Commissions came from Royalty and all the wealthiest European families, including Sir Robert Walpole, called "the first British Prime Minister" (1721-42), for whom he made first the square salver, engraved with the Second Exchequer Seal of George I.. Also a remarkable number of Members of Parliament figure among Lamerie's customers. All his most elaborate pieces date from this period.

In the early 1730's he was amongst the first to introduce the Rococo style to the English Aristocrats comes from the French word "rocaille" - the rock and broken shell motifs, which formed part of Rococo design, incorporating elaborate and fantastical decoration, and asymmetry.

On 17 March 1733, he registered his Second Sterling Mark as largeworker. Address: Golden Ball, Windmill Street, St. James's. He was still in Windmill Street, but now at the sign of 'The Golden Ball', the location associated with him thereafter.

From 1736 styled 'Captain'. From 1743 'Majpr', presumably as officer in one of the volunteer associations.

Maynard Dish by Maynard Master working for Paul de Lamerie, 1736/37. Victoria & Albert Museum.In the mid-1730s a gifted artist began to work for Paul de Lamerie. His identity remains obscure, but his hand is distinctive. His outstanding skill first appears on the Maynard dish, marked in 1736/37, leading some to refer to him as the "Maynard Master". He worked for Paul de Lamerie until around 1745. Who was the Maynard Master? There are two candidates. One of them is Chales Frederick Kandler who was trained at Meissen factory in Dresden, and the other is the talented James Shruder (active 1737–1749). Both of them were German origin immigrants, highly skilled modelors and trained in Germany.

Paul de Lamerie, whilst possessing all the skills to make silverware, was unlikely to have made silverware by himself so after his apprenticeship ended. He was primarily a business man organizing Huguenots community including silversmiths and wealthy customers, by using the duty-dodging, by inventing new design and various measures. Paul Crespin (1694-1770), Huguenot silversmith, is thought to have physically manufactured a great deal of silver bearing the maker's mark of Paul de Lamerie around 1720s.

Like Platel, he only took four apprentices, and one of them, Peter Archambo never even trained with him; it was done as a favour to Archambo's father.

In 1733 he started investing in property, like a parcel of land in Piccadilly, land in Gloucestershire in the end, and lent money on mortgages within the French community.

In 1735, His father, Paul Souchay de la Merie, died and was given only a pauper's burial at St Anne's, Soho. Paul moved his mother out of lodgings and in with his family. He joined the Wesminster Militia which was a group concerned with keeping order in the area and he attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel by the time of his death. He did not engage in the militia when his father, a former soldier, was alive.

With his father dead, Paul de Lamerie took more pride in his heritage, and even had Hogarth engrave a bookplate for him showing the Souchay crest (see the three stumps in the centre of the image). Bookplates indicate he was acquiring a library, fitting for the gentleman he had become. His status at the Goldsmiths' Company had changed from grudging acceptance to esteem because of his financial contribution to them.

In December 1737 he was appointed to a Parliamentary Committee of the Goldsmith' Company to prepare a bill 'to prevent the great frauds daily committed in the manufacturing of gold and silver wares for want of sufficient power effectually to prevent the same'. This was the same year that Lamerie sold a massive duty-dodging ewer to Lord Hardwicke. Unsurprisingly, he insisted the clause be 'entirely left out of the new intended bill'. This was agreed at the second meeting and the act was passed in 1738 with his signature attached.

In 1738 He moved to Gerreard Street. Heal records him here at No. 45 to 1739, No. 55 in 1742, and No. 42 from 1743-51, presumably due to directory or rate-book errors.

On 27 June 1739 he registered his third mark. Address: 'Garard' Street. His status in the Goldsmith' Company continued to escalte to fourth Warden in 1743, third Warden in 1746, second Warden in 1747, but never prime Warden, possibly from his failing health.

In 1741 his mother died and buried at St Anne's Church, Soho.
On 29 March 1750 his second surviving daughter Susannah married to Joseph Defaubre.

On 1 August 1751 Paul de Lamerie died and buried at St. Anne's Soho.

In 1751 James Shruder witnessed the signing of Paul de Lamerie's will. His will, dated 24 May 1750, ordered all plate in hand to be finished and stock to be auctioned by Abraham Langford (1711-1774) of Covent Garden, his journeymen Frederick Knopfell and Samuel Collins to have GBP 15 and GBP 20 respectively, the latter "to live with my executors until my Plate in hand shall be finished".

The will contained provisions for the future of his widow and two unmarried daughters out of rents received from two dwelling houses in Gerrard street, Soho, and his two leasehold houses in Haymarket.

The Will also mentions that his book keeper Isaac Gayles, for his long and faithfull services, bequeathed forty guineas. As executors he appointed his wife, and two Hugenot friends, Charles Fouace and John Malliet, to each of whom left 10 guineas for a ring or what else they please.

The short obituary from the London General Evening Post, Thursday August 1 - Saturday August 3, 1751 is worthy of recall: "Last Thursday died Mr Paul de Lamerie of Gerrard Street much regretted by his Family and Acquaintance as a Tender Father, a kind Master and and upright Dealer".

On 11 November 1754 One of the remaining daughters, Mary married John Malliett at St. Anne's.

On 22 September 1761Louisa died unmarried.

On 8 June 1765 Lamerie's widow Louisa died.

Full acknowledgement is made for the above biographical detail to the first and unsurpassable monograph on an English goldsmith, 'Paul De Lamerie' by P. A. S. Phillips, 1935, whose enthusiasm and industry in research stands as a model for every disciple.

Arthur G. Grimwade "London Goldsmiths 1697-1837 Their marks & Lives" and some comments added by Seiji Yamauchi

Works of Arts / Paul de Lamerie

Cup, 1712, by Pierre Platel who was a master of Paul de Lamerie. The arms are those of Johnson of Spaulding, Lincolnshire. Urn-form, on circular foot with gadrooning, the lower body applied with strapwork, the scroll handles with leaf grips and pendant husk decoration, the circular cover with gadrooned rim and similarly applied with strapwork surmounted by a fluted knop finial, one side engraved with mirror cypher within baroque cartouche, the other with an elaborate coat-of-arms and similar cartouche; marked under foot and on cover flange. Height: 30.48cm, Weight: 3215g. This was sold at $ 36800, Christe's on 16 April 1999. Cup by Paul de Lamerie, 1717. This cup would have been displayed on a sideboard. When viewed by candlelight, its dignified proportions and the balance of plain and decorated surfaces were enhanced. The decoration shows the influence of Huguenot silversmith Pierre Platel, who arrived in England in 1688, or the work of his one-time apprentice, Paul de Lamerie, who became the most successful Huguenot smith in London. The Victoria & Albert Museum.Sconce by Paul de Lamerie, 1717. Designed to flank an over-mantel mirror, sconces with a narrow, cast backplate were a Huguenot innovation. The sophisticated form of this sconce, one of a pair, was inspired by the designs of Daniel Marot (1661-1752) and is characteristic of Paul de Lamerie's early independent work. The engraved coat of arms and baron's coronet of the Foley family were added later.Punch Bowl by Paul de Lamerie, 1719. Made for Sir John Brownlow, 5th Bt (1690-1754) Viscount Tyrconnel, Belton House, Lincolnshire. 19.4 x 28 x 26.6 cm, 3130g. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Sutherland Wine Cistern by Paul de Lamerie, 1719. 45.72 x 96.52 x 63.5 cm. The Minneapolice Institute of Arts.Dish by Paul de Lamerie, 1720. 54.5cm, 3415g. The Ashmolean Museum. This dish belongs to a series, some with en suite ewers struck with a number of different maker's marks. The basic design was established as early as 1697, with a dish and ewer by Pierre Harache at Chatsworth. This dish is particularly noted for the engraving, possibly by Ellis Gamble, who entered into partnership with Lamerie in 1723. Heraldry: Arms of Western quartering Shirley.Dish by Paul de Lamerie, 1720. 54.5cm, 3415g. The Ashmolean Museum. Marks/Maker: London, Britannia standard, 1722-3, maker's mark of Paul de Lamerie. Wine Fountain, by Paul de Lamerie, 1720. Hight 70cm. The Hermitage Museum. Lamerie gained far-reaching fame in the 18th century for his magnificent silver works. In this early piece, we see a large vessel decorated with heavy gadroons, the lid crowned with a silver pine cone. The spigot or tap is in the form of stylized dolphins. In August 1726 a large consignment of silver objects was despatched by ship from England to Russia, and many of these objects may well have been acquired for Prince Alexander Menshikov and for the court of Empress Catherine I. Nearly half the pieces were the work of Paul de Lamerie. This splendid wine-fountain possibly formed part of that consignment.Tobacco Box by Paul de Lamerie, 1723. L: 12cm, W: 9.8cm, 551g. The arms are those of Parr. Dr. Samuel Parr (1747 - 1825) was a collateral descendant of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII. Victoria & Albert Museum.Dish by Paul de Lamerie, 1725. Diameters 28.8cm, Hight 7.2cm. Philip Yorke, first earl of Hardwicke, by descent through the family, sold Christie's, London, April 4, 1985. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Caster by Paul de Lamerie, 1725. Made for Thomas Secker, Bishop of Oxford, Archibishop of Canterbury (1683-1768). The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Sauceboat by Paul de Lamerie, 1726. This sauceboat is in the fashionable French Régence style, with strong contours chased classical masks and a scroll handle. The Victoria & Albert Museum.Dish with Arms of Barons Stroganov, by Paul de Lamerie, 1726. 66cm. The Hermitage Museum. Like all of Lamerie's works, this dish is extremely fine and elegant, chased with great skill. In the centre of the dish is an applied embossed shield with the arms of the Barons Stroganov, made to a design by the court herald-master Count F. M. Santi (active in Russia in the 1720s). The Hermitage dish would seem to have been commissioned to mark the coming of age of Sergey (1707-1756), eldest son of Grigory Stroganov. The Stroganovs were given the title of baron by Peter the Great in 1722.Walpole Salver by Paul de Lamerie, 1727. Victoria & Albert Museum. This square tray or 'salver' is one of two commissioned by Sir Robert Walpole to commemorate his terms as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The superb engraving, of the highest quality, is attributed to William Hogarth.Tumbler by Paul de Lamerie, 1732 and 1737. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Chesterfield Wine Cooler by Paul de Lamerie, 1727/28. The Victoria & Albert Museum. The Chesterfield Wine Cooler, Mark of Paul Crespin overstriking Paul de Lamerie. This wa made as part of the ambassadorial silver for Phillip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield when he was appointed English ambassador to The Hague in 1728. When he arrived he added a 50-foot dining room to the ambassadorial residence for entertaining.Tea Caddy, unmarked, by Paul de Lamerie, 1730. The coat of arms is that of Antonio Lopez Suasso impaling Da Costa, which also appears on a silver-gilt spoon tray by the renowned goldsmith Paul de Lamerie, suggesting that the two canisters formed part of a much larger tea service. The engraving is of the highest quality, and is attributed to the celebrated painter and engraver William Hogarth (1697-1764), based on a design by his master, Ellis Gamble. There are documented links between Gamble and de Lamerie, and although this canister is unmarked, it was probably made by de Lamerie. The Victoria & Albert Museum.Kettle by Paul de Lamerie, 1730. The kettle became a standard item in the silver tea service around 1710. The vertical ribs of this kettle and its dolphin-mask feet were inspired by early 17th century Dutch silver, which imitated natural forms. The Victoria & Albert Museum.Basket by Paul de Lamerie, 1731. Sir Robert Walpole, first prime minister of Great Britain, was an important early patron of the Huguenot smith Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751). This basket was inherited by Walpole's great-grandson, the collector Horace Walpole of Strawberry Hill.Candelabrum by Paul de Lamerie, 1731. H: 32.3cm, W: 33cm, 2400g. This and its pair are among the earliest known silver candelabra made in Britain. They were made for Sir Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (1676-1745) and are engraved with his crest and the motto of the Order of the Garter. Later acquired by a celebrated collector of Huguenot silver, Lord Swaythling, they were recognised by his grandson in Sir Arthur Gilbert's Californian home. Victoria & Albert MuseumMirror by Paul de Lamerie, 1732. Cast and chased silver, with glass and wood. H: 65cm, W: 53.3cm. Victoria & Albert Museum. The design of the mirror is admittedly somewhat 'retardataire' for its putative date, when most of de Lamerie's work was beginning to incorporate rococo elements, but there is no sign of any alteration, and it can therefore presumably be dated on the evidence of the coat of arms. It seems likely that the mirror formed part of a toilet service purchased on the occassion of Brownlow's second marriage, having possibly been in the goldsmith's stock for some time. A third mirror, silver - gilt, but otherwise identical, was formerly in the collection of the late Francis Stonor (Grimwade, 1960, p. 43, no. 11). This, too, is unmarked; mysteriously, the owner of the monogram, coronet, and supporters that surmount it has not been identified. (Schroder, 1988, p. 209)Sauce Boat by Paul de Lamerie, 1733. Raised, cast, engraved and tooled silver. H: 11.8cm, W: 24cm, 748g. Salver by Paul de Lamerie, 1734. 3.2 x 24.4 x 24.4 cm. Blooklyn Museum.Salver by Paul de Lamerie, 1734. 2.2 x 14.6 x 14.5 cm, 343g. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Salt by Paul de Lamerie, 1735. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Cream Jug by Paul de Lamerie, 1735. The sculptural quality and overlapping scales or leaves upon this jug are typical of Paul de Lamerie's work of the 1730s. The feet are formed as shells and dolphins, whose tails are entwined on the base. The Victoria & Albert Museum.Sauceboat by Paul de Lamerie, 1735. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Tureen by Paul de Lamerie, 1736. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Ladle by Paul de Lamerie, 1737. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Tea Equipage by Paul de Lamerie, 1735. It dates to 1735 and the earliest example of Tea Equipage. It has a set of 12 cast whiplash teaspoons, a mote spoon, an unusual pair of tea tongs, a set of twelve tea knives, two tea caddies, a sugar caddy and a milk jug; all these are housed in an elegant, silver mounted, fitted shagreen box. The maker of the tea tongs is John Allen I.Tea Caddy by Paul de Lamerie, 1735. The distinctive fluted angles and sloping shoulders of this canister mark a development from the traditional forms of the early 18th century, and would appear to have first been used by Paul de Lamerie in 1731 in a highly-individual response to the early stages of the Rococo style. It became a standard form, adopted by many silversmiths in Britain from the late 1730s. The characteristic decorative motifs of asymmetrical C-scrolls, foliage and shellwork have been overlaid onto the canister, emphasising the movement of the curved angles and shoulders of the body. The richly chased cover, shoulders and base are in marked contrast to the central section, which has been left unornamented to accentuate a large expanse of smooth, shimmering surface, ideal for engraving. The heart-shaped cartouche, set within scrolls and different types of foliage, is typical of British engraved ornament of the period, which was based on widely-available French ornamental prints. The Victoria & Albert Museum.Covered Cup by Paul de Lamerie, 1736. Covered cups have always been the staple of the goldsmith's trade, but but their design and function has evolved. In the 18th century, as the two-handled cup developed into a ceremonial object, rather than a functional one, the form became fossilised. Covered cups were the ideal grand gift, and a popular choice of prize for sports. In particular, they were presented to and used by male societies, such as colleges or trade and craft associations. It was customary, for example, for a new member of a livery company to receive a gift of inscribed silver. As a result of their status as heirlooms, a disproportionately large number of cups have survived, compared to other categories of silver plate.Waiter byPaul de Lamerie, 1736. Servants held a waiter, or small salver, to hand a single glass to a dinner guest. Salvers this size were also used to carry gloves and, later, visiting cards.Maynard Dish by Paul de Lamerie in 1736. The extraordinary border of this dish, with figures representing Earth, Air, Fire and Water, is the first appearance of the work of the so-called 'Maynard Master', the artistic personality responsible for de Lamerie's most ambitious commissions. He was probably trained as a chaser, and modelled the original plaques in copper, from which moulds were taken to make the silver casts. This object will be on display at the V&A from 23 May 2009 onwards.Kettle by Paul de Lamerie, 1736. This set was made for the marriage of Sir John Le Quesne to Miss Knight in April 1738. As a Huguenot, le Quesne served as a director of the French Hospital from 1736 and Sheriff of the City of London in 1739.Punch Ladle by Paul de Lamerie, London, 1736. The vine and hop motifs entwined in the decoration of this ladle eloquently demonstrate its purpose. The delicate modelling of detail, although a little worn through use, is characteristic of the silver associated with Maynard Master. Lamerie regularly supplied ladles for bowls and tureens.Set of Four Salts and Spoons by Paul de Lamerie, 1739. A set of four cast salts with accompanying spoons illustrates the marriage of naturalism and fantasy so characteristic of the rococo style. Each salt is conceived as a abalone shell supported by a mermaid draped in netting, encrusted with sea shells and coral. Sea shell and coral spoons continue the marine theme. The four salts, marked by de Lamerie in 1739/40, were acquired by Clark in 1930 with two identical copies by Paul Storr (1771-1844) dated 1819/20. Storr borrowed freely from de Lamerie's work and is known to have supplemented objects originally supplied by the earlier goldsmith.Sauceboat by Paul de Lamerie, 1740. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Salver by Paul de Lamerie, 1741. The Sixth Earl of Mountrath was one of de Lamerie's most important clients during the late 1730s and early 1740s, ordering sizeable quantities of plate from the goldsmith. He gave him considerable freedom to produce designs in the fullest and most imaginative rococo taste. This salver and its companion were produced in the middle of de Lamerie's career, when his powers of inventiveness were at their zenith and they are part of one of the most interesting groups of English 18th century plate ever produced. The Victoria & Albert Museum.Salver by Paul de Lamerie, 1741. This lion mask decorates the feet of a pair of silver salvers made for Lord Mountrath. Lion heads and masks are one of the signature elements of the Maynard Master. Lion mask feet recur on de Lamerie's silver from 1737 to 1745.Tea Canister by Paul de Lamerie, 1741.Dish and Ewer made for Goldsmiths' Company, 1741, Paul de Lamerie.Mountrath Dish and Ewer by Paul de Lamerie in 1742. Victoria & Albert Museum. The set was made for 6th Earl of Montrash. The border chased in high relief with a broad band of ornament incorporating figures of Jupiter, Diana, and two putti (a representation of a small child, often naked and having wings), with elaborate surrounds of scrolls, masks, shells, and flowers.Mountrath Dish and Ewer by Paul de Lamerie in 1742. Victoria & Albert Museum. The set was made for 6th Earl of Montrash. The border chased in high relief with a broad band of ornament incorporating figures of Jupiter, Diana, and two putti (a representation of a small child, often naked and having wings), with elaborate surrounds of scrolls, masks, shells, and flowers.Salver by Paul de Lamerie, 1742.Loving cup with cover by Paul de Lamerie in 1742-43, London. 38.4 ×24.1cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is one of four identical cup made in the same year. Loving cup with cover by Paul de Lamerie in 1742-43, London. 38.4 ×24.1cm. Victoria & Albert Museum. De Lamerie supplied Lord Mountrath with a similar pair of cups that year (in The Metropolitan Museum). The ambitious decoration is inspired by earlier auricular silver (based on grotesque masks) and the 1720s work of leading Paris goldsmith, Thomas Germain. The skill of this virtuoso craftsman captivates the exuberant vitality of the Rococo style.Pair of candlesticks, London, 1742/43, marked by Paul de Lamerie, silver. The Cahn Collection. The exuberant modelling of these candlesticks must be the work of the 'Maynard Master,' recognisable by the plump 'cinnamon bun' scrolls at the corners, and the large-headed youths on the stems. The transition of the base to the stem is somewhat awkward, raising the possibility that the maker was combining two separate moulds.Hotwater Jug by Paul de Lamerie, 1743. Designed for additional use as a hot water jug for serving tea, the shape is transformed by chased sculptural ornament. Lively putti (winged babies) with festoons of flowers and foliage decorate the body of the object, surmounted by a putto finial. A lion's mask decorates the upper handle socket and the feet are formed as dragon's heads.Newdigate Centrepiece, London, 1743, by Paul de Lamerie. This elaborate centrepiece, a wedding present, is richly decorated with characteristic Rococo motifs - bold scrollwork, flowers and shells - but also contains elements typical of de Lamerie's work, such as the helmetted putti.Bascket by Paul de Lamerie, 1744. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Bascket, London, 1745, by Paul de Lamerie. This basket would have been used for holding fruit, bread or cakes. The rich ornamental border of sheaves of wheat and swags of flowers represents the bounty of the harvest. The original models may be the work of the 'Maynard Master,' (see under Maynard Dish) but this basket was probably chased by another hand.2 of 4 set of Candlestics by Paul de Lamerie, 1744. Other modellers in de Lamerie's shop seem to have quickly adopted the vocabulary of the Maynard Master. The beehives on the stem of these candlesticks occur on the coat of arms of the London-based Huguenot Le Heup family. The set belonged to the banker Peter Le Heup and his wife Clara of Albermarle Street in Mayfair. De Lamerie would have known Meissonnier's designs which were published as 'Livre de Chandeliers de Sculpture en Argent' in 1728.Tea caddy by Paul de Lamerie, 1747. The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.Candlestics by Paul de Lamerie, 1748. H: 40cm, Weight: 4056g. The Ashmolean Museum. Marks/Maker: Sticks: London, sterling standard, 1748-9, maker's mark of Paul de Lamerie. Branches: one London, sterling standard, 1753-4, maker's mark of (Charles) Frederick Kandler. The distinctive figural and floral design of these candlesticks place them within the oeuvre of the talented but anonymous modeller who was associated with de Lamerie from about 1736 until the late 1740s and who was largely responsible for the artistic character of de Lamerie's later ornamental work. The prominent sunflower motif of the branches is perhaps a reference to the Greek myth of Clytie and Apollo.Wine Cooler, one of a pair Marked by Paul de Lamerie, 1749/50. The Cahn Collection. Engraved arms of Egerton for Francis, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater (1736-1803). The style of this wine cooler, one of a pair, reflects the late use of some familiar motifs from de Lamerie's workshop. However silver marked by de Lamerie in the years before his death in 1751 is not as stylistically cohesive as his earlier work, raising the possibility that he was retailing wares from a broader range of makers.

Tureen in shape of a green turtle, London, 1750/51, marked by Paul de Lamerie, The Cahn Collection. The green turtle was a food staple in the West Indies, but in 1750 it would have been an exotic delicacy in England. The flesh was considered cleansing and, with its eggs, was thought to be an aphrodisiac. Within a decade or two, turtle soup was a standard component of the civic banquet, symbolising magnificence and plenty. This tureen may have been ordered by a prosperous plantation owner or for an English trading company.