During the first quarter of the 20th century Tiffany, New York, commissioned very fine and elaborate tableware services from Royal Crown Derby for their private clients. The most celebrated of these was the service created ca. 1909 for Judge Elbert H. Gary (1846 - 1927), a corporate lawyer and founder of the United States Steel Corporation. Judge Gary collected a substantial amount of art and antiques during his lifetime, housed in his Fifth Avenue mansion in Manhattan. After his death a large portion of his collection was auctioned for a total of $2,297,763, an auction record at the time for a single owner sale.
It is possible that the service was used during his famous 'Gary' dinners, at which steel executives from other companies were invited to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern. Due to the quality and style of the gilding on the Royal Crown Derby service it is thought to complement the 566 piece 'Gold Service' commissioned by Judge Gary from Tiffany, ca. 1910 (sold for $2,035,000 at Sotheby's New York 19th October 1994). The complete effect of the set table of both services would have been dazzling for his guests.
The Royal Crown Derby Gary service is noted not only for its large number of and variety of pieces but for the fine quality and attention to detail. George Darlington, who succeeded Leroy as principal gilder, and his team took two years to complete the lavish raised gilding. The floral reserves and cartouches were painted by A. Gregory and each piece is signed by the artists and gilders involved. These pieces show the continuation of taste for a heavily ornate mid to late-19th-century style, particularly in the American market.