The meeting of Eliezer and Rebecca by the well, painted in enamels on copper, Susanne Court, Limoges, France, signed S.C., 1575-1600

Bequeathed by D. M. Currie

The plate was bequeathed to the V&A by Mr. David Martin Currie (1837-1920), with 5 other Limoges painted enamel plates and a pair of plaques. These were among many artworks lent to the museum for display from 1887. Born in Belfast, he left to work in his parents’ native Scotland at the age of about 14. After joining his brother Alexander at a sugar refinery in Greenock, west of Glasgow, he moved to the office of Messrs. Findlay, Campbell & Co., East India Merchants. During the Crimean War, he served with the Cunard Line, taking troops to the front line. He later became a partner of his brother Sir Donald’s shipping company which founded the Castle Line to Calcutta (later the Castle Shipping Co., The Castle Mail Packets Co. Ltd., and finally The Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co., Ltd.). The head office transferred with David from Liverpool to London in 1862. David retired from the business in London in 1912. A very wealthy man, he acquired most of his works of art in Europe, mainly Paris where he was well-known among art collectors. He frequented sale rooms, especially Christie’s auction house and lived in the Paddington and then Kensington areas of London. His large bequest to the Museum included bronze plaquettes and statuettes; arms, armour and other metalwork; and English and French porcelain.

C.491-1921