Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 67, The Whiteley Galleries

Salver

1822-1823 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Silver-gilt, London, 1822-3, mark of Phillip Rundell.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silver gilt
Brief description
Silver-gilt, London, 1822-3, mark of Phillip Rundell.
Dimensions
  • Width: 71 cmcm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Philip Rundell, inscribed RUNDELL BRIDGE ET RUNDELL AURIFICES REGIS LONDINI
  • Arms (on reverse),scene and frieze
  • Engraved on the back with the arms of Neeld, with a baronets augmentation received in 1835. St. George and the Dragon, in the central roundel closely resembles that for the Sovereign coin designed by Benedetto Pistrucci (1784-1855) issued in 1817, but there are several minor improvements including the equipping of the saint with a lance. The border frieze of horsemen is based on the Parthenon sculptures.
  • London hallmarks for 1822-3
  • Mark of Rundell, Bridge and Rundell
Object history
Acquisition RF: 50 / 2623
Bequeathed by Philip Rundell to his great-nephew, Joseph Neeld of Grittleton House, Wilts.. The salver must have been made for a special occasion and was never claimed.
Inscribed and engraved on the back RUNDELL BRIDGE ET RUNDELL AURIFICES REGIS LONDINI and with the arms of Joseph Neeld.

Elaborate salvers such as this were intended for display on a buffet or sideboard, rather than use on the table. The central design of St George and the dragon was probably provided by Benedetto Pistrucci, an Italian gem-engraver and medallist, who is known to have worked for Rundells. He engraved the subject of St George for the reverse of the new gold coinage in 1817. The frieze around the rim, based on the Parthenon sculptures, was probably drawn from a stock design in the workshops. Such mixing of design sources was common 19th-century practice, particularly in firms of the size of Rundells, which had its own design studios and a large turn-over of plate.

The salver must have been made for a client, but never paid for, since it was bequeathed to Joseph Neeld, Philip Rundell's great nephew. Despite being senior partner in the firm, and worth a reputed £1,250,000 on his death, Rundell was a notorious miser. It is most unlikely that he commissioned the salver himself.

Classical Ideal Exhibition RF.2009/1012
Collection
Accession number
M.67-1950

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 3, 2004
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest