Stock No. 2625	George III sterling silver strainer
	Attractive and elegantly designed George III sterling silver two-handled strainer of good weight. London 1771 by Richard Mills. The shallow bowl is circular with a gadrooned border. The base of the bowl is punched in a decorative concentric design. On either side of the bowl are two decoratively shaped handles which are each crisply hallmarked on the back with the standard mark of the lion passant. One of the handles has the contemporary initials R D engraved on either side of the standard mark. These are, presumably, the initials of the original owner. The back of the centre of the bowl is stamped clearly with the four full set of hallmarks for that time: the town mark, the lion passant standard mark, the date mark and the maker's mark.
	Maker :- Richard Mills

Condition :-Excellent condition with a full set of good clear marks in the piercing on the back of the centre of the bowl and a crisp lion passant mark on the back of each handle
Hallmarked :- London 1771
Size :- 7.6 inches (19.3 cm) long overall x 4.3 inches (10.9 cm) diameter of bowl
Weight :- 3.21 ozt (100 g)
These strainers are genetically called citrus strainers and were very much in use in the eighteenth century for straining oranges and lemons in the brewing of punch which was a very popular drink at that time. The handles were much in danger of breaking off and so it is very reassuring to see the standard hallmark stamped on both handles as a guarantee that neither has been replaced. This strainer is too large to be used as a tea strainer to-day but it would be very useful for straining any drink with fruit etc. such as punch, mulled wine, PIM's and fruit flavoured summer drinks. It is also a very decorative object to display in its own right.

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