Silver-gilt pilgrim bottle, London hallmarks for 1825-6, mark of Edward Farrell

Pear shaped Pilgrim Bottle with slender neck, the body decorated with panels of Biblical scenes, with a pendant chain hung from the shoulders and a coat of arms engraved at the base of the neck. The domed cover has a pierced trefoil finial above and applied cut-card calyx.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Provenance: H.R.H. Frederick, Duke of York. William Henry Vane, first Marquess and fourth Duke of Cleveland. By descent to Baron Barnard, Raby Castle, sale, Christie's, lot 134, 15/07/1975. Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1975.

The pear-shaped form of the pilgrim bottle is also used on a smaller scale for scent flasks. A pair of wine flagons dated 1579 of this form with chains are in the Moscow Kremlin Museums. King Charles I had twenty-two examples amongst the Royal plate. From Charles II's reign examples survive dated 1663 and 1683. A pair of Paris-made silver pilgrim bottles given to John Churchill, later 1st Duke of Marlborough by Louis XIV in the 1670s were displayed on the Dining Room Buffet at Marlborough House, St James's.There are celebrated Huguenot examples dated 1699 by Pierre Harrache at Eton College and Pierre Platel circa 1710 made for General Charles Churchill in the V&A. Given that Pierre Platel's workshop in Pall Mall was close to Marlborough House, it is likely that Charles Churchill was inspired by the display of silver at his brother's great London house in commissioning this example The present pair ordered in 1825 from goldsmith Edward Farrell by the Duke of York, brother of George IV, are the earliest recorded antiquarian revival of this spectacular form of display silver. A splendid pair of parcel-gilt pilgrim bottles by Lambert and Rawlings were made for the Great Exhibition in London, 1851.

The embossed plaques English, c. 1660, and Dutch, c. 1610.

This flask and its pair were made as collector's items. They are based on water flasks carried by medieval pilgrims but more directly inspired by Huguenot examples dating from about 1700. Embossed plaques with scenes of Christ's resurrection and the Last Supper have been applied to the surface of the bottle. The elaborate decoration is characteristic of Edward Farrell's silver.

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.

LOAN:GILBERT.851:1, 2-2008