Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Hemispherical punch bowl, applied with ram's masks on each side, between laurel and grape vine swags pendant from ribbon ties and flowerheads with circular lobed and beaded bosses in centre of each festoon, a projecting guilloche band above and a broader beaded girdle below enclosing anthemion, husk and waved foliate decoration on matted ground, chased radiating lobes springing from the fluted pedestal foot with a lower barder of reeding and leafage; everted lip, also beaded, applied with scrolling foliage terminating in flowerheads in a running band below. Engraved with the arms of Williams-Wynnn and the city of Chester, both within palm wreaths, below the rams heads.

This punch bowl was the first and most important piece of silver that Robert Adam designed for Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn. It was commissioned to celebrate the success of Sir Watkin's horse Fop at the Chester Races. Described as 'a Superbe punch Bowl very highly finish’d in an Antique Taste’ it cost £185 - the equivalent of a good professional salary today.