Sword
1807-08 (hallmarked)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
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
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold and silver pique work, stained ivory, cast silver-gilt and etched steel. |
| Brief description | Presentation sword and scabbard. Gold, silver, silver-gilt, ivory, steel. Osborne and Gunby, Birmingham, England, 1808. |
| Physical description | A highly decorated, curved presentation sword; the fluted grip of ivory stained to simulate tortoiseshell ornamented with silver pique, with a lion's head handle and an inscribed black and gold blade; the stirrup hilt of cast silver-gilt with gold pique work. The curved, single edge sabre blade is etched and gilt, the central panel with an inscription: "This sword is humbly presented to Capt. Thornton by the members of the Daventry Troop of Northampton Yeo. Cavalry as a mark of their most profound veneration and respect. June 4th 1808". |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Thomas Reeve Thornton was promoted to Captain in the Northampton Cavalry on August 29, 1798 (?). He was made High Sheriff of Northampton the same year. It is probable that this sword was presented to him in 1808 on his retirement. Provenance: Captain Thomas Reeve Thornton, June 4, 1808. Peter Finer, October, 1996. New York Armory Antique Show. |
| Production | Osborne and Grunby, sword cutlers to his majesty, Birmingham and Pall Mall |
| Summary | 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 | |
| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.46:1-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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