The Huguenot Legacy: English Silver 1680-1760

In 1685 Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, which had given religious freedom to the French protestants, or Huguenots. What had been a steady stream of refugees became a flood, creating a tremendous diaspora of talent across northern Europe. Many of the Huguenots were skilled artists, like silversmiths, and their influence on English silver of the period has long been recognized. In this book Christopher Hartop re-assesses the Huguenot contribution to silver made in England and suggests that the Huguenots were just one-albeit the most significant-of several groups of foreign workers who were responsible for the great flowering of style and technique in English silver between 1680 and 1760. The book also examines the radical changes in the way in which people sat down to eat which took place during the early Georgian period, and how silversmiths responded to the demand for innovative types of silverware this created. The new fashion for coffee and tea also saw the introduction of a wealth of new forms of domestic silver. Separate sections deal with silver for eating, drinking, coffee and tea, lighting and salvers. Silver made for display is also examined. Introductory chapters place the silver of the period in the social and historical context of the times.