On August 21, the first day of their three-day annual Scottish sale, Bonhams offered this rare Banff Communion beaker, right. Measuring 6in (14.5cm) high and weighing 11.9oz, the beaker had a moulded footrim and gently flaring body engraved with the inscription Dedicated to the Church of Boyndie be James Ogilvie of Culphin 1720 and was struck twice with the mark of Patrick Scott of Banff.
Communion beakers of this form are largely confined to the North East of Scotland and this example is thought to be one of a pair. “This was without question one of the rarest examples of Scottish provincial silver I’ve seen at auction for at least ten years,” remarked the eventual buyer, Nicholas Shaw of Nicholas Shaw Antiques in Petworth. Mr Shaw took the beaker at £19,200 (plus 17.5% buyer’s premium) against a £10,000-15,000 estimate. The proceeds of the sale will go towards the cost of building a new church hall for the vendors, the Parish of Whitehills in Banff.
The Banff George III beer mug, right, was the prize offering in the collection of Mr Harvey Murray, offered on August 20 at Lyon & Turnbull. At 5in (12cm) high and 3in (8.5cm) wide, it was large in size and bore marks for Banff maker John Keith, c.1810. The bellied body was engraved To Capt. James Reid Adjutant in Testimony of their respect from the Noncom’d Officers and Private of the Banffshire Local Militia 1810. Estimated at £6000-8000, it brought £11,000 (plus 15% buyer’s premium) from the National Museum of Scotland.
Scottish Provincial Silver
SCOTTISH provincial silver is one of the only consistently strong areas of the silver market and, if recent sales in Edinburgh are anything to go by, Banff silver is what everyone wants.
