This tremendous and extremely rare silver soup tureen is one of only two large items ever created by Hester Bateman, the grande dame of English silversmiths. Presented to Robert Harding, the Sheriff of Cork, Ireland by the City of Cork in 1798, this exceptional tureen beautifully displays all the hallmarks of Bateman’s incredible talent. The Greco-Roman design is perfectly balanced and proportional, with Bateman’s trademark beading, intricate bright-cut engraving, and upswept reeded handles flowing gracefully into the upturned lid. A solid, perfectly scaled finial completes the phenomenal form. Bateman is considered the finest classical silversmith of the Georgian era, and the exemplary classical look of this vessel is the absolute pinnacle