Strauss & co - 7 March 2011, Cape Town

63 114 A Cape silver sugar basket, unknown maker HNS, 18th century oval, urn-shaped with everted beaded and pierced rim, the sides applied with a pair of beaded handles, the body engraved with a guilloche border, the beaded stem raised on a rectangular base, 230g, 18cm wide over handles R80 000– 100 000 PROVENANCE The Du Plessis family collection LITERATURE Stephan Welz, Cape Silver and Silversmiths , Balkema, Cape Town, 1976, illustrated on p 96 “Used for serving lumps of sugar- candy, sugar baskets are often incorrectly referred to as sweetmeat dishes or bonbonnières. In the 18th century people at the Cape, as in Holland, did not pu t sugar in their tea or coffee but held a piece of sugar-candy in the mouth while drinking.” This sugar basket was used for the design of a 12 cent postage stamp, 5 November 1985. A First Day Cover accompanies this lot. detail