Silver Oval Two Handle Tray Peter, Ann & William Bateman, 1805

A silver two-handled tray with a plain polished surface bordered by a finely engraved band of neoclassical ornament: oval paterae, foliage, and geometric motifs, within a reeded outer border. Shaped scroll handles to either side and four claw feet complete the piece with the restrained elegance entirely characteristic of the Regency period.Made by the Bateman family at the height of their powers, this is a distinguished and practical piece of early nineteenth-century silver.