S/4064 Antique Treen Sycamore Searce of the Georgian Period

An excellent Georgian sycamore searce, having a central wire in the usual manner, which has been at sometime expertly replaced. Searces were used by apothecaries to sieve the powder before making it into a paste for pills. It is then placed underneath a pill rounder to obtain the correct shape and finally silvered. The base unscrews so as to retrieve the powders. It has a serrated top rim and is seated on a pedestal base with a protruding concave foot. There is minimal amount of red dye on the rim and around the sieve edges. The whole has a good honey colour and decorated patination.

Sold 2½ in. (6.5 cm.) High
4¼ in. (11 cm.) Diameter English Circa 1800