0000.5230
L. 86.3 D. Head 13.1, L of upper knop 3.7 D. of upper knop 7.5, L. of lower knop 3.9 D. 7.5, D. of stem 3.3. D. of base 9.7 Wt. 2682.6
Mace, silver. City Mace, one of four. Cup shaped head, with lid, supported by four lions rampant; a stem with two knops and a base with drop at bottom which screws into a brass rod through the centre of the whole as support. When unscrewed breaks down into 8 pieces, lid, cup with supporters, two knops, two stem sections, base and drop. The lid is embossed with the arms of George II surrounded with a floral circlet. The side of the lid has rope borders with alternating lozenge and oval decoration separated by groups of five dots. The top edge of the lid has six slight projections as though there was once an upper part of the lid. The cup has an upper border of applied scroll incorporating four face masks set at 90 degrees to each other. Below this border are four separate repousse motifs, set between the heads of the upper border. The motifs are, 1) The city arms of a twin towered gate-house but without the dome or conical roof between the two towers. 2) a rose and thistle on the same stem, 3) the Harp and 4) the fleur-de-lis; the last three each with a crown over. The four lions rampant face outwards and are attached to the cup at the head, and to the stem by the tip and a curl of the tail, with one foot also attached to the stem. The two knops are ornamented with repousee shell designs and the two sections of stem are chased with a spiral branch of a rose with leaves and flowers. The base has cup shaped bowl with funnel shaped upper part narrowing down to the stem; around the top of the cup section is a band of stamped circles with cross at centre and the lower part has repousse work; between the band and the repousee in an engraved inscription "1739. Geore. Sexton, Esqr. Mayor. David Roche & Richd. Graves Esqrs. Shers." Central brass cylinder affixed to lid and the whole fastened by screw thread on drop fitting into same on brass cylinder. During restoration the stem pieces were fitted with small lugs which fit to cut outs in the knops, so the individual pieces cannot turn around the rod; the knops were also strengthened with three bars running parallel to the axis.