Paul Crespin

George I pair of candlesticks Silver. The cast, square-shaped base decorated all around with shells and acanthus in relief; the baluster shaft with corresponding decoration and cylindrical spout. The foot engraved with the coat of arms of George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton and Secretary to the Prince of Wales. Marks: BZ London for 1718, MZ Paul Crespin (before 1721, Grimwade no. 2143a). H 17.8 cm, weight 896 g. London, Paul Crespin, 1718. Paul Crespin was one of the most important and successful Huguenot silversmiths in 18th century London - with close links to the workshop of Paul de Lamerie. The quality of his work is just as impressive as the list of his clients; for example, he supplied the Duke of Somerset in Devon, as well as the 'Jewel House' in the Tower of London, which was responsible for the allocation of silverware to the diplomats of the royal family. Provenance Westphalian private collection. Literature Cf. a set of Crespin's chandeliers for Lord Chesterfield, illustrated in Christopher Hartop, The Huguenot Legacy, London 1996, no. 9.