| Object type | |
| Title | mace
(generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silver |
| Brief description | Silver, Irish (Cork), dated 1696; maker's mark of Robert Goble. |
| Dimensions | - Length: 909.5cm
- At top width: 10.5cm
- Of middle knop width: 5cm
- At base width: 4.5cm
- Weight: 46 1/2troy
|
| Marks and inscriptions | - The initials 'RG' between two mullets in a shaped shield, for the maker Robert Goble, punched on two of the crosses soldered onto the arches above the crown: on the cross over the goldsmiths' arms and also on the cross over the founders' arms.
The Cork town mark - separate punches of a ship issuing from between two castles (derived from the arms of the town): a castle, with turret and flag, on the fleur-de-lis cresting over the pewterers' arms and on the cross over the glaziers' arms; the ship sailing is on the cross over the tin-plate workers' arms and repeated on the fleur-de-lis over the tobacco-pipe makers' arms. (For the location of these marks, see Day and Atkinson, 'On the Silver Mace', p. 357.)
- Engraved around the rim of the octagonal head of the mace:
'This Mace was made at ye charge of ye whole Sosiety of Gouldsmiths Robert Goble MTR [Master] WTR [Walter] Hughet Will Harvy Wardens 1696.'
|
| Gallery label | - (2005)
- 1. THE CORK MACE OF THE TRADE GUILDS
Cork, dated 1696
Mark of Robert Goble II
The octagonal head is chased with the arms of the Guilds of Cork - Goldsmiths, Pewterers, Founders, Saddlers, Glaziers and Glass Painters, Upholsterers (possibly), Tinplate workers and Tobacco-pipe makers. Engraved THIS MACE WAS MADE AT YE CHARGE OF YE WHOLE SOSIETY OF GOULDSMITHS ROBERT GOBLE MTR WTR HUGHET WILL HARVY WARDENS 1696.
Robert Goble II was the Master of the Cork Company of Goldsmiths and of these associated guilds.
The head is embossed with the arms of England, as borne by William and Mary, surmounted by an arched crown. This work is inferior in quality to that of the mace itself and the crown and its arches are unfinished. The central knop as figures representing the Cardinal Virtues and the foot-knop bears the arms of the City of Cork, a ship sailing between two towers. The mace, a powerful symbol of authority, was originally an offensive weapon. By the late 17th century it was widely adopted by corporations, wards and other organisations asserting their social standing and authority. The reflective quality of silver and the sheer size of maces meant that they stood out when promenaded for public occasions. This one weighs 46½ ounces.
31-1869 - (1869)
- Mace, silver, the knop ornamented with the Cardinal Virtues in relief, the head, with armorial shields, surmounted by a Royal Crown. Made by a silversmith of Cork, named Martin, for the guilds of that city, but not purchased by them owing to a dispute as to price. Irish. Dated, 1696. Length, 3 feet 1 1/2 inches; width of crown, 4 3/4 inches.
Bought, £73 10s. 3-1-1869
[Note that the reference to Martin in this label appears to be the result of a confusion with the four silver maces owned by the Corporation of Cork, which records show were completely restored in 1738 by the silversmith William Martin. See Day and Atkinson, 'On the Silver Mace of the Cork Guilds', p. 344.]
|
| Object history | The mace was apparently in the possession of people named Martin until it passed into the hands of a Mr Mayne. It was then redeemed for £5 by the Rev. Dr. Neligan, who sold it by auction at Sotheby's for £30, when it was acquired by a dealer, who in turn sold it to the South Kensington Museum (as the V&A then was). See Day and Atkinson, 'On the Silver Mace of the Cork Guilds', pp.352-3, note 1. The dealer was Mr Wareham, and the Museum paid £73.10.0 for the mace. See the V&A registered file 'Acquisition RF: Mr Cooper'. |
| Production | |
| Summary | |
| Bibliographic references | - Day, Robert and G. M. Atkinson, 'On the Silver Mace of the Cork Guilds, Now in the South Kensington Museum.' In: The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, 4th series, vol. 7 (no. 65), (January 1886), pp. 341-61.
- O'Brien, Conor and John R. Bowen, Cork Silver and Gold: Four Centuries of Craftsmanship. Cork: Collins, 2005. ISBN 978 190 346 4953.
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | |
