Description: Silver, seamed nutmeg grater with pierced sides and missing its outer cylindrical silver cover that would go with the removable, seamed cap cover, which is marked "IK" in shaped punch once on the base. This grater was originally attributed to Jesse Kip (1660-1772) of New York; however, his mark is "IK" in a plain rectangle, and early American nutmeg graters are very rare. Jackson's lists two "IK's" in shaped surrounds - James Ker (b.1700) of Edinburgh who was admiited in 1723 after being apprenticed to his father, Thomas Ker in 1709; and John Kincaid of Edinburgh who also registered his mark in 1726. However, both marks have a pellet between the I and K. Beth Wees also notes that a Ker teapot was misattributed to John Kincaid because of the similarity of the marks. This could also be the unregistered mark of an provincial English silversmiths since they did not always mark their work, or have it assayed or tested at a guildhall
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