Help With Maker's Marks

[Bamunka]

Hi All,

I have what I believe to be an American coin silver tankard. Unfortunately after lots of searching I still can't come up with a maker.

Any help anyone can give me with this would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[legrandmogol]

If Jackson's guide is to be believed, I think your tankard is actually from Cork Ireland and made by John Ricketts sometime in the 2nd quarter of the 18th century

[dognose]

Great sleuthing! It is indeed John Ricketts.

I'll move the topic to the Irish section.

Trev.

[Bamunka]

Thanks so much for that!

I was thinking about Irish provincial but couldn't find a match In the Jackson's book I have.

I am waiting for delivery of the Cork Silver and Gold book by Bowen and O'Brien, hopefully there is an example of the mark in there.

Thanks again!

[dognose]

Unfortunately that publication does not include his mark. The mark is however illustrated in Douglas Bennett's 'Collecting Irish Silver'.

Trev.

[Bamunka]

Thanks Trev, I'll get check that out.

I don't suppose you know off hand whether it is in his Irish Georgian Silver book?

Thanks again.

[legrandmogol]

No problem Bamunka, if you could just make sure your pictures stay up it would be a great help to other researchers as this is a more obscure mark and there are not many others to compare it too. I only ask as your other pictures have disappeared.

[Bamunka]

No problem! I changed host from photobucket, so should be OK this time.

[dognose]

I don't suppose you know off hand whether it is in his Irish Georgian Silver book?

That I could not say. Perhaps another member can advise.

Trev.

[dognose]

See: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=14695&p=155555&hilit=ricketts#p155555

Trev.

[scorpio]

Very nice find! While John Ricketts is mentioned by Bennett in 'Irish Georgian Silver', he only shows a photo of the base of a silver bowl with the mark of a crown over IR, stating 'possibly the mark of John Ricketts' (in his later book, 'Collecting Irish Silver', he confirms attribution to John Ricketts). The mark on your tankard is also attributed by Bennett to John Ricketts in 'Collecting Irish Silver'. In Jackson's, it is interesting to note a reference to the mark being seen on a chalice and a tankard, c.1726.

Gordon

[scorpio]

Some more information from The Finial, March/April 2010:
In reply to a query about a spoon by John Ricketts, reference is made to a set of of five Hanoverian rattail tablespoons by John Ricketts in an Australian family collection. The same mark as on your tankard (middle of the three marks illustrated by Bennett) is stamped three times on these spoons. The collection includes twelve almost identical spoons by Cork silversmith Caleb Rotheram, c.1720.

Peter Ticher (Kurt Ticher's son) comments that he doesn't have a spoon by Ricketts in his extensive collection, nor did his late father in his huge collection of Irish silver but the latter did have a paten-salver by Ricketts c. 1725, now residing in the National Museum, Dublin. I'll have a look for it on my next visit to the Museum and see what mark is on it (if possible).

Four small strawberry dishes by Ricketts, c1720, are in the Peggy & David Rockefeller Collection, soon to be sold. Different crest to that on your tankard.

An early and rare Cork maker. Wonderful find.

Gordon

[Bamunka]

Thanks very much for the extra info Gordon, very interesting!