Soup Plate thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Soup Plate

ca. 1909 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

During the first quarter of the 20th century Tiffany, New York, commissioned very fine and elaborate tableware services from Royal Crown Derby for their private clients. The most celebrated of these was the service created ca. 1909 for Judge Elbert H. Gary (1846 - 1927), a corporate lawyer and founder of the United States Steel Corporation. Judge Gary collected a substantial amount of art and antiques during his lifetime, housed in his Fifth Avenue mansion in Manhattan. After his death a large portion of his collection was auctioned for a total of $2,297,763, an auction record at the time for a single owner sale.
It is possible that the service was used during his famous 'Gary' dinners, at which steel executives from other companies were invited to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern. Due to the quality and style of the gilding on the Royal Crown Derby service it is thought to complement the 566 piece 'Gold Service' commissioned by Judge Gary from Tiffany, ca. 1910 (sold for $2,035,000 at Sotheby's New York 19th October 1994). The complete effect of the set table of both services would have been dazzling for his guests.
The Royal Crown Derby Gary service is noted not only for its large number of and variety of pieces but for the fine quality and attention to detail. George Darlington, who succeeded Leroy as principal gilder, and his team took two years to complete the lavish raised gilding. The floral reserves and cartouches were painted by A. Gregory and each piece is signed by the artists and gilders involved. These pieces show the continuation of taste for a heavily ornate mid to late-19th-century style, particularly in the American market.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted and gilded bone china
Brief description
Soup plate, from the 'Gary' service, painted and gilded bone china, manufactured by Royal Crown Derby for Tiffany & Co., New York, ca. 1909
Physical description
Soup plate, bone china, painted with turquoise green, blue and raised and tooled foliate gilt decoration in a Neo-Rococo style. Reserves of painted floral basket decoration.
Dimensions
  • Height: 3.4cm
  • Diameter: 24.3cm
Production typeLimited edition
Marks and inscriptions
  • monogram 'G' raised and gilded in the border design
  • 'TIFFANY & Co. NEW YORK' (gilt-printed)
  • monogram 'G' raised and gilded in the border design (G representing Gary)
  • 'TIFFANY & Co. / NEW YORK' (Retailers mark, gilt-printed)
  • 'BY APPOINTMENT TO / HIS MAJESTY THE KING' surrounding the Royal coat of arms (Gilt transfer-printed.)
  • 'ROYAL CROWN DERBY / ENGLAND' over a crown and interlaced Royal Crown Derby mark (Gilt transfer-printed. Manufacturer's mark)
  • 'G. W. DARLINGTON' (gilded signature in the border)
  • 'a.Gregory' (painted in the reserves)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Dr Thomas Emerson
Object history
Part of a service created c.1909 for Judge Elbert H. Gary (1846-1927), a corporate lawyer and founder of the United States Steel Corporation. Much of the Gary art collections were sold after his death at auction by the American Art Association, New York, April 19-21, 1928. Selling for a total of $2,297,763 it established an auction record for a single owner sale. Lots. 103 - 134 covered two other large dinner services commissioned by Tiffany & Co from Minton.
These pieces from the service were passed through the family and sold at auction at Sotheby's New York, 28 October, 1998. lots 149 to 156. Bought by a private dealer they were exhibited along with other examples from the service at the NEC Birmingham, Antiques for Everyone Fair, November 1998. The pieces were later bought by Dr Thomas Emerson and bequeathed to the V&A in 2011.
Production
Part of a service commissioned for Judge Elbert. H. Gary by Tiffany & Co., New York, from Royal Crown Derby, England.
Summary
During the first quarter of the 20th century Tiffany, New York, commissioned very fine and elaborate tableware services from Royal Crown Derby for their private clients. The most celebrated of these was the service created ca. 1909 for Judge Elbert H. Gary (1846 - 1927), a corporate lawyer and founder of the United States Steel Corporation. Judge Gary collected a substantial amount of art and antiques during his lifetime, housed in his Fifth Avenue mansion in Manhattan. After his death a large portion of his collection was auctioned for a total of $2,297,763, an auction record at the time for a single owner sale.
It is possible that the service was used during his famous 'Gary' dinners, at which steel executives from other companies were invited to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern. Due to the quality and style of the gilding on the Royal Crown Derby service it is thought to complement the 566 piece 'Gold Service' commissioned by Judge Gary from Tiffany, ca. 1910 (sold for $2,035,000 at Sotheby's New York 19th October 1994). The complete effect of the set table of both services would have been dazzling for his guests.
The Royal Crown Derby Gary service is noted not only for its large number of and variety of pieces but for the fine quality and attention to detail. George Darlington, who succeeded Leroy as principal gilder, and his team took two years to complete the lavish raised gilding. The floral reserves and cartouches were painted by A. Gregory and each piece is signed by the artists and gilders involved. These pieces show the continuation of taste for a heavily ornate mid to late-19th-century style, particularly in the American market.
Collection
Accession number
C.70-2012

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Record createdSeptember 25, 2012
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