A design for a silver dish by Thomas Sharp (1805- 1882), circa 1835

A drawing of a silver dish, shown in plan. Perhaps full size 283 x 359.
Of oval form, with a sunk centre. The border showing a vine scroll with putti, in the centre a scene of Bacchic revelry including Apollo and Silenus.

Probably related to the 'Bacchanalian subject, embossed in silver sheet’ shown at the Royal Academy Exhibition, 1835, No. 994. The verse which accompanied the piece is a description of the scene on this dish: <"So, from the joyous feasta reeling throng/ Of revellers poured in staggering groupes along/ Satyrs and sylvan gods; and there in state/ Silenus on his solemn donkey sate,/Whose yelding haunches sunk upon the ground/ Drunk as the cavalcade that rolled around;/ And there, all stepped in wine, was Bacchus found/ With charms of love and drunken gladness bound,/ While in their train did bright-eyed wood-nymphs join/ With lute and cymbal chaunting mighty wine.- MS. Poems." >
Bought on 6th July 1880 from the dealer R. Jackson for 5s.
Thomas Sharp was a sculptor, chaser and wax modeller, who also designed silver. He attended the Royal Academy schools in 1831 and gained a silver medal three years later.That he may have been connected with Rundell, Bridge and Rundell is suggested by the tankard design E. 357- 1886, and the fact that two persons named Sharp, Cato and Josiah, were managers of Rundell’s Dean Street workshop until 1833 (J. Culme, Nineteenth Century Silver, 1977, p. 81).

8661C