Antique sugar bowl

A recent arrival is this very unusual sugar bowl, made in 1783 by James Kennedy. At the time Kennedy was working on Exchange Street in Dublin; he was a specialist boxmaker, but was a very talented craftsman, as can be seen in this piece.

Egg-shaped, with three feet, this bowl has a swing handle, and three mask at the rim. The edge and the handle are beaded, and the body of the piece features typical Adams style swags. The family crest is shared by a few families, including Bonner, Fisher, Martin and Powell.

1783 was the year in which Britain recognised the independence of the USA, and an enormous volcano erupted in Iceland, killing tens of thousands of people throughout Europe, and caused widespread famine. In Ireland, it was the year in which Waterford Glass began production, and Westminster passed the Renunciation Act, allowing the Irish parliament to pass legislation.