On the cover:
An American Japonisme Vase New York, c. 1886 by Tiffany & Co. Height: 14 ½"; Weight: 51 oz. A fine example of Tiffany’s bold use of “other metals” (here, multicolored gilding) in their groundbreaking series of Japanese-inspired metalworks, conceived and overseen by the great imitator-as-innovator Edward C. Moore. Moore was inspired by his own wide-ranging collection of Mughal and Asian art. An exhibition about this cross-cultural fertilization will be on next year at the Met. Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co. opens on July 7, 2020. NB: We have recently purchased a particularly fine collection of this material, some of which is shown in the back of the catalog.
The opposite side of the American Japonisme vase shown on the cover
Tiffany’s working sketch of the vase
VOLUME XXV S. J. Shrubsole 26 East 81st Street New York, NY 10028 Tel: (212) 753-8920 Fax: (212) 754-5192 E-mail: inquiries@shrubsole.com www.shrubsole.com Regular Hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Saturdays, 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Summer Hours: (Memorial Day to Labor Day) Monday to Friday, 10: 00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Š Copyright 2019 S. J. Shrubsole, Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Edited by James McConnaughy and Tim Martin, with contributions by Ben Miller Designed by Mark Schnapper Graphic Design Printed by Dell Graphics Photography by Steven Tucker
Antique English and American Silver Antique Jewelry Old Sheffield Plate Antique Glass
Home sweet home: 26 East 81st Street
Collector’s Pieces
Nearly everything featured here comes, in one sense or another, from a great collector. Some pieces have simply appealed to connoisseurs such as Fred and Anne Vogel, John Hyman, Dick Meech, and, my personal favorite, the late, great Eric Shrubsole. Sir John Ramsden, who inherited a great family collection, added to the treasures when he bought his ancestor William Weddell’s soup tureens (pages 20–21). Arthur Houghton, who both spent and made a fortune collecting art and books, adored the fine Chinoiserie candlesticks on page 13. Two of our finest seventeenth-century pieces come from arguably the greatest collector in history, J.P. Morgan. All the Tiffany Japonisme is the brainchild of Edward C. Moore, Tiffany’s chief designer from 1868–1891, whose vast collection of Mughal, Indian, and Asian art is now at the Met. The earliest and finest spoon in the catalog comes from the collection of Sir Arthur Evans, discoverer of Minoan civilization. Evans collected archaeological treasures from all ages and places. His collections are now among the glories of the Ashmolean Museum. In short, and borrowing from Arlo Guthrie, hundreds of things have come across our desks in the last year. Most have been in-spected, ne-glected, and re-jected. The ones that you are about to see have been de-tected, in-spected, and se-lected. They only remain to be, for the second, third, or fourth time, collected. — Tim Martin
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A Henry VII Apostle Spoon, St. James the Less London, 1507 Length: 7"; Weight: 1 oz. 10 dwt. Provenance: Sir Arthur Evans (1851– 1941), archaeologist, leader of the excavation of the Palace of Knossos, Crete, sold Sotheby’s, 30 May 1935, lot 102 Col. Robert Frederick Ratcliff MP, sold Christie’s, 9 June 1943 The Cookson Collection by 1953, sold Woolley & Wallis, Salisbury, 25 October 2000, lot 37 Neil and Gina Smith Collection, sold Sotheby’s, London, 3 July 2019 Literature: Commander G. E. P. How and Jane Penrice How, English and Scottish Silver Spoons, London, 1953, vol. II, p. 76, ch. III, section II, pl. 15, where it is described as “a very fine spoon,” showing “all the characteristics of bowl, stem and pediment that one would expect in the early sixteenth century,” with a “beautifully modelled Apostle.”
Sir Arthur Evans
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An Elizabeth I Silver-Gilt Mounted Tigerware Jug London, 1559 Maker’s Mark: SK Height: 8 14⠄ " The date 1560, original to the piece, is engraved on either side of the handle.
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A James I Silver-Gilt Wine Cup London, 1617; Maker’s Mark: a Double-Headed Eagle Height: 8 ¼"; Weight: 7 oz. 2 dwt. This is an exceptionally fine early wine cup, one of only two or three to survive with this particularly beautiful octafoil bowl. Provenance: Ralph William M. Walker, Esq. (1856–1945) Christie’s, The Important Collection of RWM Walker, Esq., London, 10 July 1945, lot 70
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A Charles II Caudle Cup & Cover London, 1669 by Ralph Leventhorpe Height: 7 ¼"; Weight: 18 oz. A fine example of this form, somewhat smaller than average, with a marvelously well-chased dragon.
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A Charles II Bleeding Bowl or Porringer (Opposite page) London, 1674 by Edward Gladwin Length: 5 3⁄8"; Weight: 8 oz. 6 dwt. This is an exceptionally early example of this form, which over the next
century would become ubiquitous in the American colonies. It is in perfect condition. Provenance: How of Edinburgh, London, 1990 Anne and Fred Vogel Sale, Sotheby’s, New York, 19 January 2019
A Charles II Silver-Gilt Seal-Top Spoon (Above, left) London, 1678 possibly by Peter Longmaker Length: 7 ¼"; Weight: 2 oz. 18 dwt. A wonderfully massive spoon — nearly a full ounce heavier than even the best seal-tops. Literature: David Constable, The Silver Spoons of Britain, 1200–1710, Vol. 1, pp. 484–5, no. 94
A Charles II Parcel-Gilt Apostle Spoon, St. Simon (Above, right) Taunton, c. 1668 by John Smith Length: 8"; Weight: 2 oz. 2 dwt. Provenance: S.J. Shrubsole, 1980 Anne and Fred Vogel
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J. P. Morgan
A Charles I Wine Cup London, 1638; Maker’s Mark: TI over Star Height: 7 5⁄8 "; Weight: 10 oz. 10 dwt. Provenance: J. Pierpont Morgan Richard George Meech, Q.C., sold Sotheby’s, New York, 22 October 1993 Private Collection, Delaware
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A Charles II Silver-Gilt Porringer on Stand London, c. 1685 attributed to Henry Welch & John Spackman
sold by his heirs
Diameter of Tazza: 9 7⁄8 "; Weight: 35 oz. 18 dwt.
Literature: E. Alfred Jones, Illustrated Catalogue of the Collection of Old Plate of J. Pierpont Morgan, Esquire, 1908, p. 28, pl. XXIV
Provenance: Henry, Baron Capell of Tewkesbury (1637–1696), to his widow, Dorothy Capell (1642–1721); thence by descent, until acquired by J. Pierpont Morgan, by 1908, until
S.J. Shrubsole, 2000
The Capells were a prominent English family at the Restoration and after.
This piece, in nearly perfect condition, exhibits an unusually high level of finish in the chasing — such density and precision are rarely seen. Coupled with the gilding, the fine gauge, and the overall small size, it gives the whole thing a jewel-like feel unusual in seventeenth-century silver.
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A Charles II Tankard London, 1683 Maker’s Mark: EL Height: 8"; Weight: 25 oz. 2 dwt.
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A Pair of Charles II Chinoiserie Toilet Boxes London, 1683 Maker’s Mark: D in script Length: 6 ¼"; Weight: 26 oz.
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A Charles II Chinoiserie Monteith Bowl London, 1684 by Benjamin Pyne Diameter: 10 1⁄4 "; Weight: 27 oz. 4 dwt.
in Massachusetts. See British Monteith Bowls, by Georgiana E. Lee, no. 5.
Monteith bowls came into fashion in 1683, but there are no known bowls with a 1683 date letter: the earliest are from 1684. Pyne, one of the best craftsmen of the period, made a number of early monteiths, including one other from 1684 which is now in the collection of the Worcester Art Museum
The engraved crest is that of Chapman, of Taunton, Somerset. This bowl was in the same family since at least the mid eighteenth century and was originally purchased from a direct descendant. The Chapman family has a long connection to Bermuda, two members of the family having been Royal Governors in the nineteenth century.
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Provenance: General Richard Chapman R. A. (1744 –1812) Lieutenant General Sir Stephen Chapman, (1776 –1850) Sir Frederick Edward Chapman (1815–1893) Major General Stephen Chapman (1852–1943) Patrick d’A. T. D. Mungovan S. J. Shrubsole, 1993
A Pair of Charles II Chinoiserie Candlesticks London, 1681; Maker’s Mark: TA Height: 9"; Weight: 31 oz. 9 dwt. Provenance: Christie’s London, 29 March 1946, lot 105 S. J. Shrubsole, London Arthur Houghton, Jr. S. J. Shrubsole, New York Private Collection, Geneva
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A William & Mary Porringer & Cover
A Queen Anne Porringer & Cover
London, 1698 by John Chartier Height: 7 1⁄8 "; Weight: 18 oz.
London, 1711 by Matthew Lofthouse Height: 9 ¼"; Weight: 31 oz. 14 dwt. Provenance: Eric N. Shrubsole Collection, 1992 John A. Hyman Literature: John Hyman, Silver at Williamsburg: Drinking Vessels, p. 41–2, no. 50
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A Queen Anne Porringer London, 1704 by John Read & Daniel Sleamaker Height: 5"; Weight: 11 oz. 15 dwt. Provenance: S. J. Shrubsole, 2004 Anne and Fred Vogel
A Queen Anne Chocolate Pot Chester, 1703 by Peter Pemberton Height: 7 3⠄4 "; Weight: 18 oz. 3 dwt. Provenance: Mrs. Aimee Brand, sold Sotheby’s, London, 13 November 1958, lot 148 Spink & Son, London
Chocolate had arrived in Europe through Spain in the middle of the seventeenth century, and by 1657 the first chocolate factory had opened in England. The earliest known English silver chocolate pot is from 1685, and is of the same form as this: a Chinese
ginger jar with a spout and handle. Very few of these jar-form pots survive, as the shape was quickly replaced by the much more common lighthouse form. This is an especially fine example, in nearly perfect condition, and without any later engraving or alterations.
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A Pair of George I Porringers London, 1721 by Joseph Clare Height: 3 3⁄4 "; Weight: 21 oz. 5 dwt. Provenance: Mrs. B. C. Jago, sold Christie’s, London, 5 March 1958, lot 164 Thomas Lumley, London Private Collection, New York
A George II Bowl London, 1733 by Robert Lucas Diameter: 8 1⁄8 "; Weight: 21 oz. If you want perfection, look no further.
A Pair of Queen Anne Candlesticks (Opposite page) London, 1708 by Nathaniel Lock Height: 7 1⁄8 "; Weight: 20 oz. 10 dwt.
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A Pair of Triangular Queen Anne Tea Caddies London, 1713 by Jacob Margas Height: 3 7⠄8 "; Weight: 12 oz. 2 dwt. Triangular tea caddies are extremely rare, and these same arms, also in a rococo cartouche, appear on a caster of 1689 in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (see Catalog of English Silversmiths Work Civil and Domestic, 1920, no. 75). This would hardly be worth mentioning except that it seems to be an instance of some level of appreciation for rare silver as early as the 1760s — well before the collecting mania of the 1820s and after.
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A Pair of George II Sauce Boats London, 1735 by Benjamin Godfrey Length: 8"; Weight: 35 oz. 7 dwt. Engraved with the crest of Sir Gregory Page, 2nd Baronet (c. 1695 –1775). He was a Director of the East India Company, and built a huge fortune. His house at Wricklemarsh (shown above at right) was designed by John James and illustrated in the immensely important architectural book Vitruvius
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Britannicus. According to a contemporary description, Wricklemarsh was: …one of the finest houses in England, resembling a royal palace… The gardens are laid out in the most elegant manner and both the paintings and furniture are surprisingly fine. All rooms are hung with green or crimson silk damask and the cornices, door-cases and chair-frames are all carved and
gilt. The chimney pieces are all of fine polished marble.
Page died without issue, and left his estate to his great nephew, Sir Gregory Turner, who took his uncle’s name to become…and I’m sorry if the suspense is killing you…Sir Gregory Page-Turner. The sauce boats eventually found their way into the collection of the scientist and art collector Sir Thomas Ralph Merton.
IRISH SILVER A George II Irish Soup Tureen & Cover Dublin, c. 1745 by Robert Calderwood Length: 16 ¼"; Weight: 146 oz.
Sarah Ponsonby, fourth daughter of the 1st Earl of Bessborough.
The arms are those of Moore impaling Ponsonby for Edward, 5th Earl of Drogheda (1701–1758), and his wife
This is the finest Irish soup tureen we have ever owned.
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A Pair of George III Soup Tureens London, 1769 by John Romer Length: 18 ½"; Weight: 250 oz.
gether one of the finest collections of classical sculpture in England.
The arms are those of Weddell impaling Ramsden for William Weddell (1736–1792) MP of Newby, North Yorkshire, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Ramsden, 3rd Baronet. Weddell was a member of England’s celebrated Society of Dilettanti. He patronized such important architects as William Chambers, James Stuart and Robert Adam, and put to-
Provenance: William Weddell of Newby Josslyn Pennington, 5th and last Baron Muncaster (1834–1917) Sir John Frecheville Ramsden, 6th Baronet (1877–1958), sold Christie’s, London, 1 June 1932, lot 73 The Muncaster Castle Collection, Sotheby’s, London, 9 November 1995, lot 243
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A George II Molinet London, 1739 by John Hugh Le Sage Length: 13 1⁄8 "; Weight: 8 oz. 13 dwt. A molinet is a stirrer for hot chocolate. The handle was put through the removable lid of the chocolate pot. The lid was then put back on with the handle sticking out so the server could whip up the contents before pouring.
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With better emulsifiers for powdered chocolate, molinets were no longer necessary, and so were melted. They are now so rare that even dealers often don’t know what they are. The last one we bought in an auction was being sold as a mace. Michael Clayton notes a molinet “made by John Le Sage in 1739,” which is almost certainly this one.
A Pair of George III Sauce Boats London, 1762 by John Parker & Edward Wakelin Length: 8 3⁄8 "; Weight: 39 oz. 8 dwt.
A Massive George III Chocolate Pot London, 1763 by Thomas Whipham & Charles Wright Height: 15 ½"; Weight: 65 oz. 17 dwt. This is the type of pot that the molinet (shown opposite) sat in. The cover hinge pin is removable, to allow the silver part of the molinet to sit in the liquid, then, with the finial removed, the cover is put back on so that the wooden handle comes through the hole in the cover and can be spun to whip the drink.
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A Pair of Georgian Old Sheffield Plate Candelabra c. 1810, attributed to Matthew Boulton Height: 24" One of the finest late neo-classical designs.
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A George III Epergne London, 1778 by Thomas Pitts Width: 21 ½"; Weight: 117 oz. 13 dwt. Provenance: S.J. Shrubsole, 2000 Thomas Pitts was apprenticed to Charles Hatfield on 6 December 1737, then turned over to David Willaume in February 1742. Within the next two decades he was well established, with premises and a factory in Air Street,
off Piccadilly, where he advertised as a: WORKING SILVERSMITH AND CHASER … MAKES & SELLS ALL SORTS OF LARGE & SMALL PLATE, IN THE NEWEST TASTE
He specialized in epergnes, making many for the Royal Goldsmiths Parker & Wakelin.
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A Pair of George III Wine Coolers London, 1806 by Digby Scott & Benjamin Smith Height: 11"; Weight: 255 oz. The arms are those of Richard Fountayne Wilson of Melton Park, Yorkshire (1783–1847), described in the Illustrated London News in 1847 as “probably the richest commoner in the Empire.” He had extensive estates
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in Yorkshire and acquired land in other counties through inheritance. Fountayne Wilson was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, and held a variety of offices, including the High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1807, Colonel of the First West Yorkshire Regiment of Militia, and Member of Parliament from 1826 –30. Provenance: Richard Fountayne Wilson of Melton Park, Yorkshire (1783–1847), thence by descent to
Captain Frederick Montagu, by whom sold at Christie’s, London, 3 July 1946, lot 61 (part) Christie’s, New York, 20 April 2001, lot 277 Opposite page: A detail of the coolers’ exquisite chasing and the opulently cast and applied (as opposed to engraved) coat-of-arms
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A William IV Butter Tub & Stand London, 1832 by the Barnard Brothers Diameter: 6 1â „4 "; Weight: 20 oz. 9 dwt.
A Pair of George III Salts London, 1805 by John Emes Length: 3 7â „8 "; Weight: 14 oz. 17 dwt. A particularly handsome pair of salts.
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PAUL STORR A Set of Twelve Plates from the Ormonde Service London, 1809 by Paul Storr Diameter: 10 3â „8 "; Weight: 305 oz. The arms are those of Butler, for Walter Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde, and his wife Anna Maria
Catherine Price-Clarke, only daughter and heir of Job Hart Price-Clarke of Sutton Hall, co. Derby, whom he married on 17 March 1805. This model of plate is, in our opinion, the most attractive of the various models produced by Paul Storr in his glory days between 1805 and 1820. The Ormonde service is generally agreed to be one of Storr’s finest commissions.
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Victoria Regina, by Henry Tanworth Wells, 1880
A Victorian Yachting Trophy London, 1843 by John Mortimer & John Hunt Height: 18 14⁄ "; Weight: 162 oz. Engraved: ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON REGATTA 1842 WON BY THE FLOWER OF YARROW, CUTTER, 145 TONS, MARQUIS OF CONYNGHAM. K.P. This trophy was awarded to the winner of the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 1842 regatta, Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, the 3rd Marquis of Conyngham (1797– 1876). In 1835 he became Lord Cham-
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berlain, and so was the first to inform Victoria that she had become Queen (see above). The diarist Charlotte Williams-Wynn recorded the scene, apparently after buffing up her Shakespeare: They knocked, they rang, they thumped for a considerable time before they could rouse the porter at the gate; they were again kept waiting in the courtyard, then turned into one of the lower rooms where they seemed forgotten by everybody…They then said they were come on business of State to the Queen, and even her sleep must give way to that. It did not
prove that she did keep them waiting, for in a few minutes she came into the room in a loose white nightgown and shawl, her nightcap thrown off, her hair falling down upon her shoulders, her feet in slippers, and tears in her eyes, but perfectly collected and dignified.
Conyngham was a legendary yachtsman, Vice-Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and revered by his fellow club members, one of whom wrote: “To Lord Conyngham belongs the distinction of being the greatest owner of yachts of his own or any other time.”
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An American Water Pitcher New York, c. 1880 by Tiffany & Co. Height: 9 ½"; Weight: 40 oz. 10 dwt.
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An American Mixed-Metals Mug on Saucer New York, c. 1878 by Tiffany & Co. Height: 4"; Weight: 12 oz. 7 dwt. The applied gourds on this piece are made in a multicolored Japanese alloy called mokume, which means “wood grain.�
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An American Enameled Coffee Pot from the World’s Columbian Exposition New York, 1893 by Tiffany & Co. Height: 9 5⁄8 "; Weight: 18 oz. 5 dwt. Marked with Tiffany’s extra mark for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Provenance: Christie’s, New York, 22 May 2008, lot 247, property from a European collection
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Literature: John M. Blades and John Loring, Tiffany at the World’s Columbian Exposition, 2006, p. 126 This extraordinary oxidized coffee pot was one of eight exhibited at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. All of them have varying design motifs
and shades of “...dull enamels with effaced colors, its deaf harmony seeming to suit the subdued tone of oxidized silver.” We illustrate opposite the original design drawings which we have obtained from Tiffany’s archives, as well as a picture of the pot in Chicago.
At top, the American enameled coffee pot at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Above, two of the original design drawings for the pot
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An American Parcel-Gilt & Niello Vase New York, c. 1876 by Tiffany & Co. Height: 7 ½"; Weight: 12 oz. 1 dwt. One of Tiffany’s earliest Japanesestyle designs.
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An American Mixed-Metals Perfume Bottle New York, c. 1880 by Tiffany & Co. Height: 6 5â „8 "; Weight: 8 oz. An exquisite form, beautifully decorated and in pristine condition.
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An Early American Tea Caddy New York, c. 1790 by John Sayre Height: 6 ¾"; Weight: 17 oz. 3 dwt. This is a particularly — one might almost say oddly — rare form in American silver, with probably fewer than thirty known from before 1800.
An Early American Sugar Bowl New York, c. 1760 by Samuel Tingley Height: 4 14⁄ "; Weight: 10 oz. 15 dwt. A very fine and beautifully proportioned New York sugar bowl. Provenance: Jonathan Trace, 1994
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An Early American Coffee Pot Boston, c. 1760 by Benjamin Burt Height: 11 Âź"; Weight: 35 oz. 4 dwt. Exhibited: United States Department of State, Washington, D.C., February 1973, no. 12 Literature: Patricia Kane, Colonial Massachusetts Silversmiths and Jewelers, p. 234 Silver Supplement to the Guidebook to the Diplomatic Reception Rooms, Department of State, Washington, D.C., 1973, p. 19
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An Early American Tea & Coffee Service
monogram C on one side and JES on the other.
Baltimore, c. 1795 by William Ball Height of Coffee Pot: 15" Weight: 89 oz. 2 dwt.
Though the creamer is a later addition, this tea and coffee set is really magnificent. The scale of the pot is massive, the weight, quality, and color of each piece is superb.
Engraved with a bright-cut script
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On the back cover:
A George III Irish Book-Form Freedom Box Dublin, c. 1770 by Benjamin Stokes Length: 3 1⁄8 "; Weight: 5 oz. 16 dwt. Engraved on the front with the arms of the Guild of St. Luke, the city guild of cutlers, painter-stainers, and stationers, and on the back with a presentation inscription to William FitzGerald, Marquis of Kildare and later 2nd Duke of Leinster. This is by far the finest and most interesting silver box of any type ever made in Ireland. Provenance, form, history, and condition are all superb. William Robert FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster, KP, PC (1749–1804), was an Irish liberal politician, landowner, and the highest ranking nobleman in Ireland. Before inheriting his father’s title and estates in 1773, he served as a Member of Parliament for Kildare and Dublin City. He was chosen as Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1770, appointed High Sheriff of Kil-
dare in 1772, elected as one of the first knights of the newly created order of St. Patrick in 1788, and co-founded the Irish Whig Club in 1789. Provenance: William, Marquess of Kildare (1748 –1804), later 2nd Duke of Leinster, and thence by descent to Gerald, 8th Duke of Leinster (1914–2004) Sotheby’s, London, 3 May 1984, lot 17 This sale was described in the Irish Arts Review as the “finest group of Irish silver and gold freedom boxes ever to come up for auction.” Christie’s, London, 13 June 2000, lot 226 S. J. Shrubsole A European private collection Literature: John Culme, British Silver Boxes 1640–1840: The Lion Collection, p. 162–3, no. 180. Also illustrated on the cover, title page and frontispiece
The back of the freedom box shown on the back cover
S.J. Shrubsole 26 East 81st Street New York, NY 10028 Tel: (212) 753-8920 Fax: (212) 754-5192 www.shrubsole.com