GROAN | SILVER FOR DINING with Matthew Lafite

The eighteenth-century table was meant to groan under the weight of silver.

Taking meals throughout the day could involve a vast number of luxurious equipment made of silver including flatware, plate, and various specialised pieces.

In this lecture Matthew Lafite will introduce us to some of the key pieces from The Brookes Bequest that relate to use at the dinner table, such as platters, soup tureens, sauce boats, condiment containers, and baskets.

We will also learn about utensils used specifically for serving soup and asparagus and be introduced to holloware such as argyles (gravy warmers), brandy pans, toasters, strawberry dishes, and meat skewers.

MATTHEW LAFITE is a specialist in English, Irish and Scottish silver and a member of the London Association of Art & Antique Dealers and the Australian Antique Dealers Association. Matthew is approved to value English, Irish and Scottish silver dating from 1300 onward, for the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

This lecture is presented on-site at The Johnston Collection. Please see your ticket for details.

This lecture is supported by The Colin Holden Charitable Trust.

This lecture coincides with the exhibition SPLENDID and its accompanying publication which are supported by a specified fund established from the Estate of Mr. Clive Hele (Roger) Brookes.

image captions:

detail from the Dining Room, Chatsworth House, England
Wikimedia Commons

silversmith: Samuel Herbert and Co
dish cross, London, hallmarked 1762
sterling silver | 100 x 340 mm x 65 mm (closed); 27 x diameter 62 mm (open) | mark of Samuel Herbert and Co
The Johnston Collection (A1671), bequest of C H (Roger) Brookes, Melbourne, 2021

silversmith: Alexander Johnston (English, active 1733-1748?)
tureen, London, hallmarked 1755
sterling silver | 263 x 390 x 200 mm | mark of Alexander Johnston
The Johnston Collection (A1255), purchased with funds provided by Mr Clive H (Roger) Brookes, Melbourne, 2005