Not on display

Dish

1742-43 (hallmarked)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Sixth Earl of Mountrath was one of de Lamerie's most important clients during the late 1730s and early 1740s, ordering sizeable quantities of plate from the goldsmith. He gave him considerable freedom to produce designs in the fullest and most imaginative rococo taste. This ewer and companion dish were produced in the middle of de Lamerie's career, when his powers of inventiveness were at their zenith and they are part of one of the most interesting groups of English 18th century silver plate ever produced.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Raised, embossed, cast and chased silver
Brief description
Silver, London hallmarks for 1742-43, mark of Paul de Lamerie.
Physical description
Large, circular shaped silver dish, the border chased in high relief with a broad band of ornament incorporating figures of Jupiter representing Air, Venus as Earth, and two putti on the left and right of the coat of arms with elaborate surrounds of scrolls and masks (possibly Fire and Water), the centre applied with a reproduction of the original coat of arms.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 75.7cm
  • Weight: 9844g
Scratch weight: 365 - 7
Content description
The coat of arms of Algernon Coote, 6th Earl of Mountrath is Argent, a chevron sable between three coots purpure impaling those of his wife, Diana, daughter of Richard Newport, 2nd Earl of Bradford, Argent, a chevron gules, between three leopards' faces sable. The supporters: represent the Coote wolf sable ducally gorged argent and the Newport leopard guardant purpure; Vincit veritas is the Coote family motto. The coat of arms is surmounted by an Earl's coronet.
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • London hallmarks for 1742-3
    Translation
    The Coote family motto Vincit Veritas translates as Truth conquers.
  • Mark of Paul de Lamerie
  • Coat of arms
Gallery label
(01/06/2009)
Ewer and dish
London, England1742-43;
Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751)
Silver

Made for Algernon, 6th Earl of Mountrath, and similar to the set ordered by the London Goldsmiths’ Company in November 1740. Inspired by 17th century Antwerp and early 18th century Paris silver, the dramatic sculptural forms enhanced the dining room buffet . The central coat of arms is a replica.

LOAN:GILBERT.721.1; 721-2
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Previous owners: Algernon Coote, sixth earl of Mountrath. By descent to the earl of Portarlington. Colonel A. Heywood-Lonsdale, sale, Christie's, lot 126, 27/06/1956. Sir George Dowty. Purchased from J. H. Bourdon-Smith, Ltd., London, 1971.
Historical context
This spectacular ewer and basin were intended for display on a dining room buffet to emphasize the status of the patron. Although the 6th Earl's father lived at 30 Burlington Street, London, in c.1721, see the basement plan designed by Lord Burlington in the V&A (E.2124:100-1992) by the early 1740s the 6th Earl and Countess of Mountrath lived in Grosvenor Square, in London's fashionable Mayfair. A similar commission from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, dates from 1741, and is still used for display on the buffet in the dining hall of the London guild which controls the quality of the production of silver in the British metropolis, and which Paul de Lamerie served as a Warden.

Algernon Coote, 6th Earl of Mountrath was born and educated in London and represented Castle Rising, Norfolk as MP from 1724-34 and Hedon, Yorkshire from 1742-1744. His wife outlived him by 22 years, and in her will specified a legacy of £2500 for the construction of a vault and a monument in the Holles Chapel, Westminster Abbey.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The Sixth Earl of Mountrath was one of de Lamerie's most important clients during the late 1730s and early 1740s, ordering sizeable quantities of plate from the goldsmith. He gave him considerable freedom to produce designs in the fullest and most imaginative rococo taste. This ewer and companion dish were produced in the middle of de Lamerie's career, when his powers of inventiveness were at their zenith and they are part of one of the most interesting groups of English 18th century silver plate ever produced.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Associated object
Bibliographic references
  • Edwards, R., and L.L.G. Ramsay, eds. The Connoisseur Period Guide to the Houses, Decorations, Furnishings and Chattels of the Classic Periods. New York: Reynal and Company, 1957-58, vol. 3, pp. 76, 78, pl. 41.;Timothy Schroder, The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver, Los Angeles, 1988, pp. 250-255
  • Hillier, Bevis. 'The Gilbert Collection of Silver'. The Connoisseur, June 1976, vol. 192, no. 772, p. 118, nos. 8A, 8B.
  • Bowman, Leslie Greene. 'Huguenot & Rococo Riches'. The Antique Collector, vol. 56, no. 11, November 1985, p. 107, fig. 9
  • Schroder, Timothy. 'Evidence without documents: Patterns of Ornament in Rococo and Regence silver'. 'Rococo Silver in England and its Colonies'. Papers from a symposium at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, 2004. Silver Studies: The Journal of the Silver Society, Number 20. The Silver Society, London, 2006, p.62, fig 98.
  • Alcorn, Ellenor, with a foreword by Tessa Murdoch. Beyond the maker's mark: Paul de Lamerie Silver in the Cahn Collection. Cambridge: John Adamson, 2006, p. 29, figs. 22-23.
  • Jones, William Ezelle, Monumental Silver: Selections from the Gilbert Collection. Los Angeles : Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1977 no.17
  • Donahue, Kenneth, A Decade of Collecting: 1965-1975, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1975.
Other numbers
  • SG 38B - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • M.77.2.9 - LACMA
  • 1996.869 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
  • SG 362 i - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 2001.10 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.721:2-2008

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 createdJune 19, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest