Tea urn
- Place of origin:
London, England (assayed)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Digby Scott (maker)
Benjamin Smith, born 1764 - died 1823 (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Raised, cast, chased and engraved silver-gilt and carved ivory
- Credit Line:
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Museum number:
LOAN:GILBERT.775:1 to 6-2008
- Gallery location:
Gold, Silver & Mosaics, room 71, case 5
- Image in copyright
This exceptionally grand tea urn would have appealed to a very wealthy, fashion-conscious client. Its Egyptian style was also adopted for several items in the 'grand service' made for the Prince of Wales, later George IV (1762-1830). The design is attributed to the French artist Jean-Jacques Boileau, who worked in England from 1787.
By the early 19th century, the immense wealth of Britain's richest citizens enabled them to patronise the luxury trades of coach-builders, cabinet-makers and silversmiths. The Prince Regent (Later George IV) and his aristocratic contemporaries set the style of what became known as the Regency period.They were indebted to the most prestigious firm of London goldsmiths of the age, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. The company supplied silver at the forefront of fashion. Their large design studio included important artists such as John Flaxman and Jean-Jacques Boileau.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Physical description
Hemispherical body on a triangular stand, the base rests on three ball feet and is ornamented with applied Egyptian motifs, palmettes and three sphinxes which support the urn, the lower section of the urn is plain below a band of a key pattern over which are applied two stylised masks, the spout is formed in the shape of a bird's head. The cover is slightly raised, the finial formed in the shape of a bud above a vine calyx.
Place of Origin
London, England (assayed)
Date
1805-1806 (hallmarked)
Artist/maker
Digby Scott (maker)
Benjamin Smith, born 1764 - died 1823 (maker)
Materials and Techniques
Raised, cast, chased and engraved silver-gilt and carved ivory
Marks and inscriptions
Engraved with arms of Gordon-Lennox, for Charles, 4th duke of Richmond and Lennox, Knight of the Garter (1764-1819)
London hallmarks for 1805-6
Mark of Digby Scott and Benjamin Smith II
Sterling standard
Duty stamp
'RUNDELL BRIDGE ET RUNDELL AURIFICES REGIS ET PRINCIPIS WALLIAE LONDINI FECERUNT'
Dimensions
Height: 36.5 cm, Depth: 26.5 cm, Weight: 6820 g, Width: 38 cm
Object history note
Provenance: fourth Duke of Richmond and Lennox. The Phillip H. and A.S.W. Rosenbach Foundation, sale, Sotheby's, lot 48, 20/06/1974. Purchased from Garrard and Company, Ltd., London, 1976.
Descriptive line
Silver-gilt and carved ivory, London hallmarks for 1805-6, mark of Digby Scott and Benjamin Smith
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Schroder, Timothy. The Gilbert collection of gold and silver. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1988, cat. no. 90, pp. 338-41. ISBN.0875871445
Materials
Ivory; Silver-gilt
Techniques
Carving; Gilding; Engraving (incising); Casting; Chasing; Raising
Subjects depicted
Birds; Foliage; Coats of arms; Scrolls (motifs); Palmettes; Gadroons; Laurel (foliage); Key pattern; Sphinxes; Masks (design elements); Snake (animal); Finials; Calyx (plant form); Paterae (motifs); Egyptian Revival; Spigots
Categories
Containers; Drinking; Metalwork
Collection code
MET
