Collection of European Silver by ruzhnikov

Collection of European Silver Collection of European Silver

Ruzhnikov • Fine art & antiques

Collection of European Silver

Austro-Hungarian Agate & Silver-Gilt Cup circa 1870 silver-gilt, agate height: 58 cm Provenance Property of the Earls of Mansfield and Mansfield, Scone Palace

A spectacular agate-mounted silver-gilt cup in the NeoRenaissance style. The carved agate bowl mounted with a silver-gilt rim, set with cabochon garnets and turquoise, decorated with blue enamel and cast figures of playful putti. The sides of the cup are applied with a silver-gilt strapwork chased with grotesque masks. The handle is shaped as an allegorical female figure of spring under a canopy surmounted by a dragon. The cup is supported on a slender stem formed of four standing figures symbolising the seasons, interspaced with dolphins, and rests on a lozenge-shaped foot chased with scrolling foliage, set with cabochon garnets, turquoise and pearls, with four scrolling feet each applied with a seated maiden. Contained in a fitted case. Apparently unmarked.

Willem Kalf, Still Life with a Chinese Bowl, Nautilus Cup and Other Objects, 1662, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid 8

The object emulates Renaissance nautilus cups, created from shells of nautilus pompoilius set in elaborate gold mounts. Luxurious vessels made of nautilus shells were highly valued in Europe since the sixteenth century. The shells were frequently surrounded by various kinds of mythological motifs related to the sea, paying tribute to the marvellous life associated with the ocean. Combining the ‘naturalia’ and the ‘artificialia,’ such items became a popular feature in ‘cabinets of curiosities.’ Nautilus cups were often used in still-life paintings. The 17th-century Dutch artist Willem Kalf used a nautilus cup in a number of his stilllifes, such as the one in the collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, showing a nautilus cup along with other exotic objects.

Edwardian Gold Presentation Cup by Garrard 1904 gold height: 17 cm; weight: 2707 gm maker’s mark: SG for Sebastian Garrard city assay mark: leopard’s head in a shield for London date letter ‘i’ for 1904 gold standard mark for 18ct gold contained in original fitted case

Provenance Sir Andrew Noble, 1st Bt. of Ardmore (1831–1915), son of George Noble, and his wife Margery, daughter of Archibald Campbell, presented by their children and grandchildren in 1904 at Chillingham Castle for their golden wedding anniversary, then by descent

The Bowes Cup by Jacob Bodendick, 1675–6, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

An Edward VII massive gold presentation cup of slightly tapering cylindrical form on a spreading stepped foot, with its lower body and scrolling handles chased with acanthus leaves and the upper part applied with a laurel-chased band. Underneath the foot engraved with a presentation inscription, marked near the handle, the foot further stamped ‘R&S Garrard & Co., Haymarket London’. Contained in its original fitted oak case and with an ebonised wooden stand. The cup’s design emulates the famous Bowes Cup, probably the earliest surviving gold race trophy, dated around 1675–66, now held in the V&A in London.

French Silver Sculpture of Joan of Arc by Ferdinand Barbedienne, after Paul Dubois

1900 silver height: 81.5 cm; length: 72 cm; weight: 20 kg signed P. DUBOIS; further engraved: Épreuve en argent / Exposition Universelle / Paris 1900 / F. Barbedienne French assay mark for sterling silver: head of the goddess Minerva in profile Provenance Sale: Sotheby’s London, The Great Exhibition sale, 31 October 2006, lot 640 Exhibitions Paris, Exposition Universelle, 1900 Bibliography Paris Salon, Catalogue Officiel, Paris, 1889, p. 329 Paris Salon, Catalogue Officiel, Paris, 1895, p. 264 Catalogue Illustré Officiel de l’Exposition Décennale des Beaux-Arts 1889-1900, Paris, 1900, pl. 4 J. Mackay, The Dictionary of Sculptors in Bronze, Woodbridge, 1977, pp. 111-112 P. Kjellberg, Bronzes of the 19th century: Dictionary of Sculptors, Atglen, 1994, pp. 296-298

A solid sterling silver sculpture of Joan of Arc on horseback. The woman clad in armour is shown atop a cantering charger, ready for battle. With her left hand, she holds the reins of the horse, while with the right she raises a sword. The sculpture is resting on a rectangular base, chased to simulate ground, signed P. Dubois, the plinth stamped Epreuve en argent Exposition Universelle – Paris 1900 F. Barbedienne. Joan of Arc, a young peasant girl who led French troops against invaders in the Hundred Years War, became an increasingly influential figure in France in the 1870s and 1880s, after the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. The medieval martyr became a patriotic symbol and was commemorated in monumental sculpture, painting, and decorative works of art.

The present figure was designed by Paul Dubois (1827–1905) and cast in silver by Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810–1892). The original plaster model was first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1889. At the Salon of 1895, the statue reappeared in bronze, and then, in the following year, a fourmetre high version was unveiled in front of the Reims cathedral. In 1900, a full-size recasting of the statue was erected in the Place St-Augustin in Paris. In the same year, the silver figure now presented was shown at the Exposition Universelle.

Equestrian statue of Joan of Arc by Paul Dubois in Reims 20

Paul Dubois, a disciple and nephew of the famous Baroque sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, was trained under Armand Toussaint at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and then spent four years in Italy studying Renaissance masterpieces. Joan of Arc, as well as Dubois’s other equestrian sculptures, were largely influenced by Andrea Verrocchio’s statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice.

Belgian Silver Flatware Set by Wolfers Frères circa 1900 silver total weight: 25 kg maker’s mark: three stars in a triangle for Wolfers Frères silver standard: 800 in original fitted case

An extensive 404-piece canteen of silver flatware for 24 persons, chased with stylised foliage and palmettes, each stamped with the maker’s hallmark and a silver standard mark; all contained in a fitted wooden box with nine drawers: 1. 1 soup ladle; 4 sauce ladles; 4 fish slicers and 4 fish forks; 2. 24 table spoons; 48 table forks; 2 butter and 2 cheese knives; 3. 24 table forks; 4 stew serving spoons; 4 pairs of salad serving forks and spoons; 4. 24 dessert knives and 24 dessert forks; 4 dessert serving spoons; 5. 36 table knives; 1 spade and 1 ice knife; 2 roast serving forks; 6. 36 table knives; 1 spade and 1 ice knife; 2 roast serving forks; 7. 2 spades and 2 ice knives; 24 coffee spoons; 24 ice cream spoons; 8. 24 fish knives and 24 fish forks; 24 oyster forks; 2 condiment ladles; 2 pairs of sugar tongs; 1 tea caddy spoon; 9. 8 salt cellars; 8 salt shovels; 2 crumb scoops; 2 pairs of asparagus tongs.

The firm of Wolfers Frères was established circa 1812 in Brussels by two brothers Edouard and Guillaume Wolfers, who moved to Belgium from Augsburg. In 1842, they were joined by the third brother, Louis Wolfers, who later passed the family business to his son Philippe. Alongside Odiot and Aucoc in Paris, Garrard in London, Fabergé in Russia, and Tiffany in America, Wolfers Frères were among the most distinguished silverware and jewellery manufacturers of the 19th–early 20th century. Their production ranged from silverware in various revivalist styles in the mid-19th century to Art Nouveau and Art Deco objects in the later period.

Victorian Silver Equestrian Sculpture of William I by Hunt & Roskell after Émilien de Nieuwerkerke 1861 silver height: 57 cm; length: 54 cm; weight: 11 kg maker’s mark: ISH in a shield under a crown for John Samuel Hunt date letter ‘f’ for 1861 lion passant for sterling standard

An equestrian sterling silver sculpture representing William I, Prince of Orange (1533–1584), the founder and liberator of the Netherlands, finely cast and chased, fully marked on the sculpture; further stamped ‘Hunt & Roskell Late Storr & Mortimer 1131’ on the base.

William I, Prince of Orange by Adriaen Thomasz, 1579, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

William I, also known as William the Silent, is considered a key figure in the transition of the provinces to the modern nation of the Netherlands. The sculpture is a scaleddown reproduction, in pure silver, of the famous statue that currently stands in the courtyard of the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.

Equestrian statue of William I, Prince of Orange, Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Netherlands

The silver model was produced by Hunt & Roskell, a firm of silversmiths and jewellers to Queen Victoria based in Bond Street, London. It was designed by the French sculptor Count Émilien de Nieuwerkerke (1811–1891) after

the statue in The Hague. Another bronze version of the original work, cast by Eck et Durand, is held in the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Museum in Karlsruhe, Germany. This impressive sculpture reflects the pivotal role of William I, who led the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs. Born to a noble family of German Protestants, William converted to Roman Catholicism as a youth as a condition for inheriting the title of Prince of Orange. William became close to the Habsburg family and served them as a member of the court of Margaret of Parma, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Charles V was fond of William, and in 1555 made him the commander of his troops stationed on the Empire’s border with France.

Portrait of William the Silent by Willem Jacobsz. Delff

When Charles V abdicated, his son, Philip II, became King of Spain. Philip II was concerned about the spread of Protestantism in the Low Countries, and determined to eradicate it using force. William, who was unhappy with Phillip’s persecution of Dutch Protestants and the centralisation of power towards Spain, turned against his former masters. He reconverted to Protestantism and, in 1568, led a rebellion against Philip II.

William’s nickname, William the Silent, describes his reputation as a taciturn and cautious individual. However, he proved highly determined in battle, and led the Dutch to several successes in the fight against the Spanish. Declared an outlaw by Philip II in 1580, William was assassinated in Delft in 1584. Despite his death, he succeeded in his aim of founding a free and independent Dutch republic.

Large German Silver Punch Bowl & Cover by Heinrich Mau 1894 silver height: 46 cm; weight: 3910 gm maker’s mark: H. Mau

A large silver punch bowl in the Neo-Rococo taste by Heinrich Mau, a jeweller and silversmith from Dresden. The bowl of double-bellied form, raised on two scroll supports and two bracket supports, the body chased with shellwork and floral sprays and applied with large acanthus leaves sweeping across it to form handles at the neck, the domed cover chased with scrolls and sweeping lobes and surmounted by a figural rocaille scroll finial. The lower body engraved with the date ‘1894’ within a shellwork cartouche. Marked on the underside of the bowl and the flange of the cover.

Jakob Wilhelm Heinrich Mau (1843–1906) was a prolific jeweller and silversmith, appointed official purveyor to the royal Saxon court in Dresden. His firm was famous for manufacturing opulent Rococo Revival silverware.

Victorian Silver Trophy Modelled as a Racehorse 1896 silver height: 51 cm; length: 61 cm; weight: 7650 gm assay mark of Birmingham, 1896 base inscribed: ARCTIC PRINCE / Derby 1951 / To Willie Stephenson from Joe McGrath, To commemorate a good job well done

Provenance Joseph McGrath (1887-1966) William Stephenson (1911-1988), presented in 1951 45

A large realistically cast and chased silver model of a racehorse, mounted on a naturalistic base with a dedicatory inscription, further raised on a wooden plinth; marked on the left hind hoof. In 1951, after Epsom Derby, the model was presented to William ‘Willie’ Stephenson, the trainer of the Arctic Prince – the winner of the race – by the horse’s owner Joseph McGrath, Irish politician and businessman. With its total prize of about £22,000 (the equivalent of over £1,000,000 in today’s money), the competition is still known as the most valuable race ever run in England. Arctic Prince’s brief racing career lasted less than a year, from 1950 to 1951, and consisted of only five races. The horse won two races, including the 1951 Epsom Derby and was retired after breaking down at Ascot in July of the same year.

French Silver Vase by Tétard Frères

circa 1910 silver height: 68.5 cm; weight: 9500 gm maker’s mark: mark of Tétard Frères in lozenge

A beautifully crafted art Nouveau French silver vase by Tétard Frères, the body of baluster form finely decorated with chased and embossed drapery, oak leaves and acorns. The handles modelled as branches. The base applied with a cast laurel wreath. Marked beneath the rim. Established in 1880 by Edmond Tétard (1860–1901) in Paris, Tétard Frères soon became one of the leading French silver manufacturers. The firm specialised in producing elegant domestic silverware: flatware, tea and coffee sets, trays, wine coolers, etc. Tétard’s pieces were highly sought after by a discerning clientele and became fashionable among the French aristocracy. In the 1920s, under the artistic leadership of Valéry Bizouard (1875–1945), the firm’s principal designer, Tétard Frères became preeminent exponents of French Art Deco, alongside Puiforcat and Christofle.

Victorian Silver Table Centrepiece by Mortimer & Hunt 1840 silver height: 97.2 cm; weight: 20 kg maker’s mark: IM over ISH under a crown for John Mortimer & John Samuel Hunt city assay mark: leopard’s head in a shield for London date letter ‘e’ for 1840 Provenance The centrepiece was commissioned for Charles Noel, 2nd Baron Barham (1781– 1866) and his third wife Arabella HamlynWilliams (c. 1793–1829). It bears the coat of arms of Middleton impaling Williams quartering Hamlyn beneath baron’s coronet with the Noel family motto ‘Tout Bien ou Rien (All Good or Nothing)’ on the banderole around the base.

An early Victorian nine-light table candelabrumcentrepiece. The shaped circular base on four acanthus and shell scroll feet chased and embossed with acanthus leaves and three crowned shields each emblazoned with a coat-of-arms and supported by a pair of eagles. Atop the base are four cast stags. The baluster stem chased with acanthus foliage terminates in two tiers of foliate branches with sockets, waxpans and detachable nozzles. The finial formed as an eagle perched on a tree. The piece is accompanied by an alternative central bowl with an openwork acorn and oak-leaf rim. Marked on the base, coats-of-arms, coronets, deer, branch sockets, waxpans, sockets, detachable nozzles, finial and bowl rim. 54

Victorian Silver & Cut-Glass Centrepiece by Matthew Boulton & Plate Co. A silver four-light candelabrum-centrepiece on a square base resting on four raised legs shaped as foliated volutes. The stem and four arms cast and chased with similar scrolling foliage. The stem supports a detachable openwork basket applied with grapevines and fitted with a cutglass bowl. Each arm terminates with a sconce with a detachable nozzle. The piece is accompanied by a set of four smaller baskets of a matching design to be installed replacing the nozzles. Fully marked on the base.

1832 silver, cut glass height: 45 cm maker’s mark: MB for Matthew Boulton & Plate Co. city assay mark: anchor for Birmingham date letter ‘j’ for 1832 lion passant for sterling standard

The silversmith company of Matthew Boulton was established in 1784 in Birmingham. The company was known as a premier producer of fine Neoclassical silver, particularly excelling in ‘Old Sheffield Plate’. After Boulton’s death in 1809, his mark continued to be used by Matthew Boulton & Plate Co. until 1832.

Victorian Silver Sculpture “Battle of the Boyne” by R. & S. Garrard 1862 silver height: 70 cm; length: 70 cm; width: 56 cm maker’s mark: RG beneath a crown for R. & S. Garrard; R. & S. Garrard, Panton St., London city assay mark: leopard’s head in a shield for London date letter ‘g’ for 1862 lion passant for sterling standard

Provenance Marquess Conyngham, Slane Castle Bibliography S. Clarke, Great British & Irish Silver, Works of Art, Paintings. Catalogue of Acquisitions

A magnificent Victorian silver centrepiece commemorating William of Orange’s victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne by Robert Garrard, fully marked on the base and stamped ‘R. & S. Garrard, Panton St., London’. The centrepiece depicts two equestrian figures, the victorious William of Orange, with sword outstretched and an officer, Sir Albert Conyngham, doffing his hat in salute to his monarch whilst in front an artillery gunner attends to a barrel of cannon balls beside his cannon, all on a simulated grassy mound. The sculpture is mounted on an ebonised wooden base affixed with two silver plaques, one depicting the Boyne Obelisk, the other showing the defeated and dismounted James II, and two plaques with the cut-out coat-of-arms of the Conyngham family flanked by a horse and a stag. Commissioned by the Conyngham family of Slane Castle to acknowledge the family’s involvement in the battle, Sir Albert, pictured on the centrepiece, raised a regiment of Dragoons for William and played an important part in the battle. Slane Castle, where this centrepiece would have once resided, was the family home of the Conynghams since 1701 and the river Boyne flows below the castle. The Boyne Obelisk, featured on one of the plaques, was a monument to the battle of the Boyne, erected in 1736.

The Battle of the Boyne took place in 1690 between the English king, James II and his nephew the Dutch prince, William of Orange who was married to James’s daughter, Mary. Together William and Mary had overthrown James in 1688 and taken the English throne. The battle took place across the river Boyne near the town of Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland. William’s defeat of James sealed the latter’s failure to retake his throne and ensured the continued Protestant ascendancy in Ireland. To this day, the Protestant Orange Order commemorate the battle in Northern Ireland, and it is a constant source of sectarian tension between Ulster’s Protestants and Catholics. For the Jacobite supporters of James II the battle was part of a war fought for religious tolerance of Catholicism and disputed land ownership for the Catholic upper classes who had lost most of their land under Oliver Cromwell’s brutal conquest of Ireland in the mid-17th century and a desire for Irish autonomy which they believed James supported. For William and the Protestant cause the war was about maintaining their rule in Ireland.

By 1802 Robert Garrard was in sole control of the firm of John Wakelin and William Taylor that he had bought into on the latter’s death in 1792. Later, with his sons, the firm became R. J. & S. Garrard and then later still R. & S. Garrard. In 1843 Garrard was appointed Crown Jeweller to Queen Victoria and became responsible for the upkeep of the Crown Jewels. In 1848 they produced the America’s Cup, the oldest international sporting trophy.

French Silver Centrepiece by André Aucoc circa 1890 silver height: 23 cm; length: 53 cm; width: 28 cm; weight 12 kg maker’s mark: A. Aucoc and a rooster above AA for André Aucoc

A fine and exceptionally heavy French cast silver centrepiece by André Aucoc in the style of the Rococo Revival. The shell form body on four cast supports modelled as playful children mounted on a simulated rocky lozenge-shaped base. André Aucoc (1856–1911), the younger son of Louis, headed the family business in 1887. Under him, the emphasis of the company reverted from jewellery manufacturing, developed by his predecessors, back to silverware. André Aucoc produced original silver and silver-gilt objects in the style of the 18th century, as well as dealt in antique silver. 69

French Suite of Candelabra and Dessert Stands by Odiot

circa 1860 silver height of dessert stands: 52 cm; height of candelabra: 80 cm; total weight: 48 kg one pair of candelabra fully marked ‘ODIOT A PARIS,’ the other identical pair marked with the French Minerva silver standard mark only; the dessert stands fully marked ‘ODIOT A PARIS’ and French Minerva silver standard mark. Provenance Baron James de Rothschild (1792–1868), thence by descent

A magnificent French Silver table suite by Maison Odiot comprising a set of four 10-light candelabra and a set of four 2-tier cake stands en suite. The candelabra on stepped triform bases with three cast putti, each perched on a lion claw support flanking three escutcheons engraved with the arms of the Rothschild family above acanthus leaves; the central vase-shaped section of each column applied with three winged and bare-breasted female figures linked by fruit swags; the bases terminating in three dolphins; the upper section of the columns embellished with acanthus leaves with masks supporting two tiers of foliate branches (six and three respectively) around a central light. The two-tier dessert stands on triform bases on lion claw supports beside escutcheons engraved with the Rothschild coat-of-arms, applied with three seated female figures below a glass dish, beneath a mask-embellished vaseshaped section on a pedestal supporting a smaller glass dish topped by a kneeling Cupid on an elaborate swagdecorated pedestal.

The suite was commissioned by the prominent banker Baron James de Rothschild (1792–1868), founder of the French branch of the Rothschild family, for Château de Ferrières east of Paris, one of the Rothschilds’ magnificent residences. The Rothschild dynasty rose to prominence in the 18th century, in the wake of Mayer Amschel Rothschild (17441812), ‘Court Factor’ to Crown Prince Wilhelm of Hesse in the Free City of Frankfurt in the 1760s. In the following decades, the family business spread to London, Paris, Vienna, and Naples. The Rothschilds became ennobled, influential and well-connected bankers with an interest in the arts. In 1860 James de Rothschild purchased the Bordeaux wine estate of Château Lafite in Pauillac, where his nephew – London-born Nathaniel de Rothschild 77

(1812–70) – had acquired the neighbouring vineyard of Château Mouton in 1853, three years after moving to Paris to work with his uncle. The Rothschilds not only amassed a considerable fortune but assembled a remarkable art collection, becoming the greatest family of non-royal collectors of their time. The Rothschild name became synonymous with connoisseurship and passionate art collecting at the highest level. Today some of the world’s greatest works of art have a Rothschild provenance, united by what became known as le Goût Rothschild (the Rothschild Taste) – an elaborate fusion of styles associated with opulence and splendour, emulated by rich and powerful collectors over the following decades. The firm of Odiot, founded in Paris in 1690, traded in silver and gold vessels before Jean-Baptiste Gaspard Odiot became a manufacturing silversmith in 1720 in the reign of Louis XV. Maison Odiot acquired fame and prominence in the late 18th century when, under Jean-Baptiste Claude Odiot, the firm became official purveyors to the court of Napoleon. Having survived the First Empire and Bourbon restoration, Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot retired in 1823. His son Charles-Nicolas continued to build on the firm’s success as purveyor to King Louis-Philippe. His son Gustave Odiot later became a purveyor to the Imperial Court of Russia. Maison Odiot’s clients also included François d’Orleans, Prince de Joinville, who purchased the magnificent centrepiece exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair in 1878.

Pair of French Silver Seven-Light Candelabra by Odiot circa 1880 silver height: 68 cm each; total weight: 10 kg maker’s mark: ‘ODIOT A PARIS 806’

A pair of seven-light silver candelabra in the Louis XVI style by Maison Odiot. Each with a tapered shaft chased with trailing flowers and bordered with ribbon-tied laurel friezes, issuing two tiers of three curved candle arms and a single stiff candle arm with acanthus leaf decoration, beaded drip pans and leaf-cast beaded nozzles. The circular three-feet fluted bases applied with cast laurel garlands and chased with laurel foliage around the edges. Each piece is marked on the base of a foot, further stamped ‘ODIOT A PARIS’ and numbered 806.

Monumental French Silver Vase by Tétard Frères circa 1910 silver height: 68.6 cm; width: 43.2 cm; weight: 21 kg maker’s mark: of Tétard Frères in lozenge inscribed Luis Sanz / Madrid

A large and important silver vase by in the Louis XVI style, finely chased with oak swags and cartouches; the collar applied with two cast figures of putti supporting additional oak garlands.

Victorian Parcel-Gilt Silver Presentation Tazza & Cover by John Samuel Hunt 1863 silver-gilt height: 39 cm; weight: 2666 gm maker’s mark: ISH in a shield beneath a crown for John Samuel Hunt city assay mark: leopard’s head in a shield for London date letter ‘h’ for 1863 lion passant for sterling standard

A parcel-gilt vessel with a shallow bowl on a slender stem and a detachable cover, chased overall with scrolling ivy trails on a textured ground. The raised centre decorated with a cast sculptural group of three stallions, two locked in combat, rearing above a fallen companion. The body applied below the rim with two leafy handles terminating in Tudor roses and buds. The stem embossed with three cast figures of children seated within arched recesses. The lobed foot with beaded edges and stylised leaf borders. Fully marked on the interior of the cover and inside the bowl.

John Samuel Hunt, who had been an assistant to the celebrated royal silversmith Paul Storr, was a partner in the firm of Hunt & Roskell until his death in 1865. The firm traded between 1843–97, their retail shop at 156 New Bond Street in London’s West End, with a manufactory near Clerkenwell. Hunt & Roskell continued Storr’s position as Royal Silversmiths and Jewellers.

German Silver Model of a Stag by Neresheimer 1907 silver height: 48 cm maker’s mark: German Renaissance ‘n’ for Neresheimer English sponsor’s mark and import marks for Berthold Muller date letter ‘g’ for 1907

A large silver pouring vessel realistically chased and modelled as a stag, with detachable head. Marked on the rim inside the head. Neresheimer was one of the greatest German silversmiths. The firm was founded in Hanau in 1890 as a partnership of August and Ludwig Neresheimer with Jean Schlingloff. Neresheimer produced a wide range of highly decorative objects like nefs, silver sculpture, centrepieces, all types of silver vessels.

Victorian Silver Model of a Stag by Thomas Smith & Son after W.G. Stevenson 1897 silver height: 71 cm; length: 51 cm; weight: 8400 gm maker’s mark: T.S. & S for Thomas Smith & Sons assay mark of Edinburgh, 1897 the base inscribed by the sculptor: W.G. Stevenson R.S.A S.C

A realistically modelled and superbly executed large silver model of a twelve-pointed Royal Stag, designed by Scottish sculptor and painter William Grant Stevenson ARSA, RSA (1868–1916). A member of the Royal Scottish Academy, with whom he was a regular exhibitor, Stevenson is most famous for his colossal bronze figures of William Wallace, now in Union Terrace, Aberdeen, and Robert Burns, the centrepiece of the Burns Monument in Kilmarnock. Besides his larger works, Stevenson executed many small figures in silver, and his Diploma work for the Royal Scottish Academy was a famous stag (exhibited in 1894).

100

Elizabethan Silver Cigar Box Modelled as a Tank 1979 silver length: 30 cm; width: 11 cm maker’s mark: RG (script) city assay mark: leopard’s head in a shield for London date letter ‘e’ for 1979 lion passant for sterling standard

A sterling silver cigar box modelled as a British chieftain tank, with a swivel top and a mobile barrel, the hinged top lifts to reveal two cedarwood-lined cigar compartments. The Chieftain was the main British battle tank from the 1960s through to the 1980s, a development of its predecessor, the Centurion tank. The model was introduced in 1966 and at that time had the most effective armour and most powerful main gun of any tank yet made.

101

102

Monumental Elizabethan Silver Caviar Server by G.J. Dennis Gold & Silversmiths 2002 silver height: 35 cm; length: 90 cm; width: 53 cm; weight: 35 kg city assay mark: leopard’s head in a shield for London lion passant and 925 for sterling standard date letter ‘C’ for 2002

103

104

A monumental silver caviar server on an oval wooden base, with stylised waves and shells to the body and a cast sturgeon to the removable lid. The interior fitted with five glass dishes in a framework and a liner for crushed ice. Originally commissioned by the Silver Fund, London, England. Holds up to 650 ounces of caviar.

105

106

German Silver & Enamel Bowl by Koch & Berg feld after Albin Müller circa 1910 silver, enamel height: 38 cm; diameter: 61 cm retailer’s mark: KOCH & BERGFELD STERLING

A large and impressive Art Nouveau sterling silver and enamel jardiniere embossed with fish-shape design executed by Koch & Bergfeld after Albin Müller’s design. The use of the word “sterling” indicates this piece was probably intended for export to the United States.

107

108

Koch & Bergfeld is one of the oldest active German silverware manufacturers. In the 1900s, the firm made a remarkable contribution to the history of applied art, playing an important role in the development of the Historicism and Art Nouveau movements in Germany. Koch & Bergfeld executed designs by Hugo Leven, Albin Müller and Henry van der Velde (KrekelAalberse).

109

110

George V Silver Presentation Bowl by William Lister & Sons 1918 silver height: 29.5 cm; diameter: 35 cm; overall width: 50.2 cm; weight: 5224 gm maker’s mark: WL & SNS in lozenge for William Lister & Sons city assay mark: leopard’s head in a shield for London date letter ‘c’ for 1918 lion passant for sterling standard contained in fitted Asprey case

111

112

A monumental silver presentation bowl of compressed circular form with fruiting vine border and foliate scroll handles terminating in rosettes, the body applied with a frieze of fruiting vines above applied strapwork bordered with snakeskin decoration, on circular pedestal foot, gilt interior, the bowl inscribed to the front with a monogram and date. The piece is mounted on a wooden plinth and comes in a fitted break-front case retailed by Asprey, lined in silk and velvet.

113

Pair of French Silver Baskets by Charles Fontana & Cie

circa 1900 height 44.5 cm; width 51 cm; depth 32 cm; weight 10.6 kg maker’s mark: Ch. Fontana Cie French export mark (950 standard)

A pair of silver baskets of flared oval form with rope-twist rims, bifurcating ribbon-tied reeded handles and latticework bodies embellished with foliate swags; engraved on the underside Ch. Fontana Cie, Rue Royale, Paris. Fontana were among the most celebrated late 19th century French jewellers – renowned for their highquality silverware and luxurious gemset jewellery. The firm was founded in Paris by Thomas Fontana in 1840 and initially located in the Galerie de Beaujolais arcade at the Palais Royal. In 1861, after Thomas’s death, the company passed to his nephews Joseph Fontana and Alexandre Templier. In 1871 Thomas’s son Charles took over the business, the firm becoming known as Ch. Fontana et Cie.

115

116

Italian Silver Casket by Ventrella early 20th century silver, lapis lazuli height: 42 cm; width: 46 cm; depth: 31 cm; weight: 15.6 kg maker’s mark: Ventrella, Rome

117

A massive solid silver casket in Neo-Renaissance style, chased with grotesque ornament and set with six glazed lapis lazuli panels; the domed lid topped by two putti holding a crowned laurel wreath containing two empty shields. The casket rests on four feet shaped as mythical harpies (half-woman, half-bird). Interior padded with red velvet lining. Engraved with the maker’s name on the lower rim.

118

This casket is by Ventrella, a renowned firm of Roman silversmiths established in the early 1800s by Giuseppe Ventrella, master goldsmith in Naples during the Bourbon period. After Italian Unification, Ventrella became official purveyors to the Royal Court. In 1873, the business passed to Giuseppe’s sons, in whose hands it continued to flourish, with branches in Naples and Rome.

119

120

Set of Three Victorian Silver Bowls & Two Ewers by Elkington & Co. 1898 silver maker’s mark: E & Co Ld for Elkington & Co bowls measure: overall width: 51 cm; height: 43 cm jugs measure: height: 45 cm total weight: approximately 14.6 kg

A magnificent Victorian silver set comprising three punch bowls of kantharos form and two amphora-shaped ewers in Neo-Classical style. Each bowl has two lion-shaped handles and fluted decoration to the lower body, stem and spreading foot. The ewers have similar handles modelled as lions ready to spring, with fluted shoulders, lower bodies and supports. All items applied with relief friezes depicting bacchanalia scenes showing feasting deities derived from Classical mythology. Fully marked. Elkington & Co were a Birmingham silverware company producing fine silverware and silver plate, whose artistic excellence and fine design brought the company international esteem and numerous prestigious awards. The firm were granted Royal Warrants to their Majesties Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, King George V, Queen Mary and King George VI, as well as to the royal courts of Spain and Italy. 121

122

123

124

125

126

Pair of Georgian Silver Caskets by Lewis Herne & Francis Butty

1761 silver-gilt width: 24 cm maker’s mark: LH over & FB into a quatrefoil mark for Lewis Herne & Francis Butty city assay mark: leopard’s head in a shield for London date letter ‘f’ for 1761 Provenance Perceval, Earls of Egmont Partridge Fine Art Ltd., London

127

A pair of George III silver-gilt caskets of an oblong form, each embossed with a rococo ornament on a scalework ground. The hinged covers each engraved with a crest below a coronet – the coat-of-arms of Earls of Egmont – within a rococo cartouche.

128

129

130

Monumental French Silver Vase by André Aucoc

circa 1900 silver height: 65 cm; weight: 15.8 kg maker’s mark: A.Aucoc French assay mark for sterling silver: head of the goddess Minerva in profile

131

132

A monumental silver presentation vase of canted square baluster form with acanthus-chased rim, resting on a canted square foot; the upper corners with cast fauns supporting drapes and floral garlands; two of the sides applied with satyr masks in relief; lower corners embellished with chased acanthus leaves. Fitted with a detachable electroplated liner. On a marble base applied with four silver plaques, one engraved with the names of recipients 1902–09. Stamped with André Aucoc’s hallmark. André Aucoc (1856–1911), the younger son of the firm’s founder Louis, headed the family business from 1887. Under his direction, the company’s output switched from jewellery to prestige silverware. André Aucoc produced silver and silver-gilt objects of exceptional craftsmanship and exquisite design, emulating the opulent style of the 18th century.

133

134

Monumental Italian Silver Vase by Ferdinando Meloncelli circa 1955 silver height: 72 cm; weight: 7225 gm maker’s mark: MI445 for Ferdinando Meloncelli

A massive Neo-Rococo silver vase of baluster form, profusely chased with scrolling foliage; cartouches in the upper part; fluted lower section, spreading foot chased with scrolls; two scrolling handles surmounted with cast figures of putti holding baskets above their heads. Marked on the foot.

135

136

137

138

139

140