John Schuppe

AC Silver are pleased to offer a fine range of antique silver pieces by John Schuppe.

If you are particularly interested in collecting silver pieces by John Schuppe but you can't find a suitable item below, please contact us and we will do our best to help find that perfect piece.

Although it is known that John Schuppe registered his hallmarks with the London Assay Office in 1753, little is known about the silversmith’s origins before this point. He is believed to be a Dutch migrant, although it is speculated that he could be German given that there were other Germans with the surname Schuppe living and working in London at that time.

By far the most well-known of Schuppe’s designs is his cow creamer. First crafted in the mid-18th century, these creamers were an instant hit with the British elite and quickly became both widely spread and widely copied. Easily recognisable for their near-cartoonish appearance, these creamers usually present cows with thin legs on flat button-like hooves. The cow’s expressions are invariably charismatic and agape – allowing the milk easy passage. The cow’s tail curls up to form a handle and an insect accents the panel on the cow’s back, creating a handle to easily open and refill the creamer as needed. Cow creamer production was Schuppe’s line of work for roughly 20 years after registering his hallmark, being commissioned non-stop by wealthy Britons.

Outside of the booming success of cow creamers, very little solid information is known about Schuppe. His first recorded address at Little Deans Court is registered to his name until sometime before 1783, where the rate book for the property shows that he has been replaced. It is widely accepted that Schuppe was no longer in business by 1773, but the date of his death is only vaguely placed as being around the early 1780s.

It is known, however, that Schuppe and his wife Mary – even their wedding date is unknown – had a son named John junior, who in turn apprenticed and became a silversmith and watchmaker in his own right. John Schuppe junior, however, seems to have never married or had children and was buried in 1823 at the age of 60, effectively ending this Schuppe line of silversmiths.