FEATURES ARCHIVE

Spencer House in St. James’s is one of only a handful of London’s great 18th century private palaces to remain intact today. Arguably the most important Neo-classical interior in Britain, it was built for John, 1st Earl Spencer between 1756 and 1766. A selection of exceptional English and French furniture, porcelain and objets d’art - almost all originally supplied for Spencer House - will be offered in The Spencer House Sale at King Street on 8 July. Remarkably, Spencer House remained the London residence of the Spencer family until the 1920s – when the lease was sold and the treasures were moved north to Althorp, the family’s principal seat in the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside.

The Spencer House Sale is particularly rich in exceptional examples of English seat-furniture designed by the architects John Vardy, James ‘Athenian’ Stuart and Henry Holland. Originally from extensive suites, some in excess of 60 pieces, the sale includes specimen pairs from these long sets, of which the majority will remain in the collection at Althorp. The sale has been carefully curated to ensure that the historic integrity of the 18th century collections at Althorp remain largely intact.

Porcelain has also long been a passion of the Earls Spencer. Highlights include a Sèvres porcelain dinner service purchased in Paris in 1786; there are also wares from Chelsea, Meissen and the Orient, led by a garniture of five Japanese lacquered and mother-of-pearl inlaid Imari vases, dating from the late 17th century and probably acquired by the redoubtable Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough.

This magnificent selection also embraces two sublime Old Master pictures, exceptional works of art by Rubens and Il Guercino, the latter also originally supplied to Spencer House in 1768, which will be sold in the Old Masters and 19th Century Art Sale at King Street on 6 July.

Running in tandem is The Althorp Attic Sale, including the Spencer Carriages, on 7 and 8 July at Christie’s South Kensington. Embracing everything from architectural fragments to portrait miniatures, copper batteries de cuisine to porcelain dinner services and riding whips to militaria, the focal point will no doubt be The Spencer Carriages – arguably the most important group of aristocratic 19th century horsedrawn family carriages in existence.

These treasures from the Spencer family collections – one of the most historic and romantic of all aristocratic collections – are offered for sale for the first time in their history. We hope you enjoy this preview of our forthcoming sales and very much look forward to welcoming you to the view.

           - Orlando Rock, Deputy Chairman, Christie’s Europe

The Order of the Garter
The unique Spencer family garter jewels made for Frederick, 4th Earl Spencer, John, 5th Earl Spencer and Charles, 6th Earl Spencer, will be sold alongside the Spencer Family Garter Robes, as worn by John Poyntz, 5th Earl Spencer, to the Coronation of Edward VII in 1901. The Most Noble Order of the Garter was founded by Edward III in about 1348 and is dedicated to England’s Patron Saint, St George. This lot includes a very rare blue velvet garter with diamond-set motto “Honi soit qui mal y pense” which translated means “shamed be the person who thinks evil of it”.