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Wine Cooler thumbnail 2
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Wine Cooler

1811-12 (hallmarked)
Artist/Maker
Smith, Benjamin (II) (maker)
Place of origin
London (assayed)

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.


Object details

Object type
Wine cooler
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Wine Cooler
  • Liner
  • Ring
  • Collar
Materials and techniques
Raised, cast, chased, seamed and engraved silver-gilt.
Silver
Gold
Raising
Casting
Chasing
Gilding
Brief description
Wine cooler, silver-gilt. Benjamin Smith II and James Smith III, 1811.
Physical description
A two-handled, krater-shaped cooler resting on a circular foot chased in the centre with fluting and a spool-shaped stem decorated beneath the bowl with bands of egg-and-dart ornament and stylised leaves. The bowl, chased with a calyx of acanthus on the lower part, is plain above and has a band of vines and bunches of grapes beneath the lip. The spreading rim is chased with a band of egg and dart and applied beading within. The handles are chased with fluting and foliage and spring from bearded classical masks applied to the lower part of the body. The cooler has a plain, cylindrical liner, supporting ring, and detachable collar with an applied band of vines and grapes. The cooler is engraved twice with a coat of arms.
Dimensions
  • Height: 36.5cm
  • Height: 29.5cm
  • Weight: 7867g
First height is overall height (with stand), weight is overall weight.
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance: Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, sale, Christie's, lot 71, October 9, 1946. A. B. Gilbert, London. Sir William Butlin, sale, Christie's, lot 57, November 20, 1968. Partridge Fine Arts Ltd., London, 1969.
Summary
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.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Christie's Review of the Year 1968-69. London: Christie, Manson & Woods, p. 185.
  • Schroder, Timothy. The Gilbert collection of gold and silver. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1988, cat. no. 103, pp.385-89. ISBN.0875871445
  • Jones, William Ezelle, Monumental Silver: Selections from the Gilbert Collection. Los Angeles : Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1977 no.38
  • Gilbert, Arthur. Monumental Silver: The Gilbert Collection, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1974 no.26
Other numbers
  • SG 27 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • GB 215 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1998.17 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.779:1-2008

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Record createdJune 26, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158045/wine-cooler-smith-benjamin-ii/
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