Vase thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 69, The Whiteley Galleries

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Vase

1840-1841 (made)
Artist/Maker
Fábrica Platería De Martínez (manufacturer)
Place of origin
Madrid (made)

Presentation vase in silver and gold, inspired by the Alhambra Vase. The present vase bears the arms of George William Frederick Villiers (1800-1870), Earl of Clarendon.

Object details

Categories
Vases
Metalwork
Object type
Vase
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Vase
  • Case
Materials and techniques
Silver and gold
Silver
Gold
Gold
Brief description
Vase, made by the Fábrica Platería de Martínez; Madrid, 1840-1841
Physical description
Presentation vase in silver and gold, inspired by the Alhambra Vase. The present vase bears the arms of George William Frederick Villiers (1800-1870), Earl of Clarendon.
Dimensions
  • Base to rim of vase height: 445mm
  • Across widest point of handles width: 220mm
  • Across base diameter: 15cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • A sequence of three marks stamped on the handles, lower part of vase and on applied ornament, from left to right marks are: A tower, the number '41' below, in a rectangular punch, the assay mark for the Madrid court, for the year 1841; the letter 'M', a letter 'z' above, in a shaped punch, the maker's mark of Antonio Martínez; a four-pointed crown above a shield containing a bear eating fruit from a tree, below the number '41', in a rectangular punch: the town mark for Madrid for the year 1841. (For these marks see Enciclopedia de la Plata, nos 749 and 750.) (The vase bears the arms of George William Frederick Villiers (1800-1870), Earl of Clarendon.)
  • In gold embossed letters in an oval cartouche on one side of the vase, the words: Al Conde de Clarendon Los patriotas españoles agradecidos.
    Translation
    Spanish, 'To the Count of Clarendon, Spanish patriots [are] grateful'.
  • Engraved in cursive script round the top of the vase foot, 'Se hizo en la Fabrica Plateria de Martinez Madrid 1840'. [sic]
    Translation
    Spanish, 'It was made in the Silver Workshop of Martinez Madrid 1840'.
  • The arms of the Duke of Clarendon and his motto 'Tria juncta in uno' (Latin: 'Three joined in one').
Gallery label
'American and European Art and Design 1800-1900' This vase was inspired by the Alhambra Vase and the related group of vases made, probably after 1300, at the potteries of Málaga in Spain. It bears the arms of George William Frederick Villiers (1800-1870), Earl of Clarendon, to whom it was presented by Spanish patriots at the end of his period as Envoy to Madrid, from 1833 to 1839. He negotiated the quadruple alliance of 1834 between Spain, France, Portugal and England, and laid the foundations for a career in which he was three times Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.(1987-2006)
Object history
This vase was inspired by the Alhambra Vase and the related group of vases made, probably after 1300, at the potteries of Málaga in Spain. It bears the arms of George William Frederick Villiers (1800-1870), Earl of Clarendon, to whom it was presented by Spanish patriots at the end of his period as Envoy to Madrid, from 1833 to 1839.
Historical context
George William Frederick Villiers (1800-1870), Earl of Clarendon, negotiated the quadruple alliance of 1834 between Spain, France, Portugal and England, and laid the foundations for a career in which he was three times Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Bibliographic references
  • Fernández, Alejandro, Rafael Munoa and Jorge Rabasco. Enciclopedia de la plata española y virreinal americana. Madrid: The Authors, 1984. ISBN: 8439824130
  • Martín, Fernando A. La platería de Martínez en el Museo del Prado. Boletín del Museo del Prado, 3, 1980. pp. 163-64.
  • Martín, Fernando A. La platería de Martínez al servicio de la Real Casa. Piezas en el Palacio Real de Madrid. Reales Sitios, 66, 1980. pp. 11-16; Reales Sitios 67, 1981, pp. 11-16 and Reales Sitios, 69, 1981. pp. 11-16.
  • Cruz Valdovinos, José Manuel. Primera aproximación al platero Antonio Martínez. Goya, 160, 1981. pp. 194-201.
  • Mariam Rosser-Owen, Islamic Arts from Spain, London, 2010, p.142.
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
M.28:1-1985

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Record createdMay 24, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O124296/vase-fábrica-platería-de/
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