Crab with shells

This bronze was probably cast directly from a real crab. The body was covered in clay and fired in a kiln. It was completely burnt in the process, leaving space in the clay mould for liquid bronze to be poured in and allowed to cool, providing an exact replica of the crab. It is thought to date from the nineteenth century and to be based on the design by Nicholas Sprimont for a pair of salt cellars in the Royal Collection, made for Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1742-3.