As has been discussed on this page more than once, the fondness for rococo decoration here meant that this style lingered much longer in Ireland than was the case elsewhere.
This George II coffee pot perfectly illustrates the point, since by its date a more chaste and simple form might have been expected. The item was made around 1748 in Dublin by William Williamson and its wonderfully ornate chasing includes a number of figures in the lower section; above can be seen the arms of the Burke family. The coffee pot carries a pre-sale estimate of £5,000-£6,000 and is included in a sale of silver, jewellery and paintings being held by O'Reilly's of Francis Street, Dublin next Wednesday.
Among the other lots of Irish silver are a George I plain bowl made in Dublin in 1723 by Joseph Walker (£5,000-£6,000) and a George III flagon also made in Dublin by Edward Boyce (£4,000-£4,500)). The jewellery section of this sale, meanwhile, offers a pair of Edwardian diamond earrings of 3.75 carats (£12,000-£14,000), a Victorian pear-shaped diamond pendant (£6,000-£7,000) and an art deco diamond bracelet of some 29 carats (£18,000-£20,000). And among familiar artists' names are Letitia Hamilton, Fergus O'Ryan and George Barrett. The auction starts at 1 p.m.