English George III Antique Sterling Silver Candle Snuffer by Abstainando King with Original Tray by Wilkes Booth, London 1795/96 & 1796/97

It is very rare to find nice candle snuffers with their original trays. Abstainando King first registered his mark in 1791 'as snuffer maker'.1

This candle snuffer is a beautiful model with fluted loop handles and attached feet on the handles and underneath the front. The elaborate chamber which holds the cut wick is shaped like a box with a fluted edge surmounted with a ball finial.

The tray is oval with raised sides. It has applied reeded banding along its edge. The scrolled handles also have applied decoration.

Both the tray and the box on the snuffers are engraved with their original monograms 'WAL.'

The tray is fully hallmarked for Wilkes Booth (another snuffer maker) along with the lion passant, sovereign's head, duty mark, date mark for 1795/96, and another maker's mark, which had been scratched out. These snuffers are fully hallmarked inside the chamber for Abstainando King along with the lion passant, sovereign's head, duty mark, and date mark for 1796/97. The tray measures 10.5 inches long by just under 4 inches wide, and the snuffers measure 6.75 inches long. The set weighs 8.30 troy ounces and is in excellent antique condition.

Endnote:

1. Arthur G. Grimwade, London Goldsmiths 1697-1837 Their Marks & Lives, Third Edition, 1990, pp. 542-543.