Large George II pie-crust silver salver

This beautiful and large early-Georgian silver salver was made the specialist salver maker, John Tuite, who moved to London from Dublin in the early 18th century. The salver features a classic and nicely crafted pie-crust scroll border interspersed with shells, and is mounted on scroll and leaf-cap feet.

The centre is finely engraved with contemporaneous arms for the Hay-Drummond family and likely it was in the possession of one of the children or grandchildren of The Most Reverend & Right Honourable Robert Hay- Drummond (1711-1776) and his wife, Henrietta Auriol.

Apart from its decorative appeal, this salver is the perfect place to hold a decanter and glasses.

The serving trays we know today is an evolution of the salver, which was a term used in England from the mid-seventeenth century to denote a flat tray without handles, usually made of silver. Like this example, some salver designs featured supporting feet - usually three or four.

The word salver derives from the Latin salvare meaning to save. Originally, food or drink intended for royalty would be initially tasted by a servant for signs of poison before it reached the royal top table. Being served on the salver indicated that this process had taken place and the food and drink was now fit for a king.

Salvers later became commonplace in aristocratic and wealthy homes and Samuel Pepys is recorded as an owner of a salver, signifying his high social standing.