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Lot Essay
The badge is that of the sons of George III.
Following the death of William IV of England in 1837, Ernst Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1771-1851) succeeded under Salic Law to the throne, of Hanover. Whilst being unpopular in England largely on account of his professed dislike of 'liberal notions', his depature from these shores being an opportunity for national rejoicing, his rule of Hanover was regarded by his subjects as a considerable improvement on that of his absentee predecessors. Ernst Augustus appears to have taken a large quantity of Royal Plate to augment the silver already in Hanover. Following his death in 1851, he was succeded by his son George Frederick who was himself deposed by the forces of Prussia during the was himself deposed by the forces of Prussia during the Seven Weeks' War of 1866. The Prussians sacked the Hanoverian Royal Palace but failed to find the Royal plate since the vault in which it was housed had been covered with lime, plaster and debris by workmen loyal to the Hanoverian cause. In 1923 a significant proportion of the Cumberland plate was offered for sale by Crichton Brothers, London.
The basket appears to be part of a marine inspired service made for the Duke of Cumberland. A pair of salt cellars on similar feet, also by Joseph Preedy, 1802, are engraved with the same badge. They are now in the collection of Mrs. Audrey Love (see A. Phillips and J. Sloane, Antiquity Revisited, English and French Silver-Gilr from the collection of Mrs. Audrey LOve, London, 1997, p. 41, cat. no. 3).
Following the death of William IV of England in 1837, Ernst Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1771-1851) succeeded under Salic Law to the throne, of Hanover. Whilst being unpopular in England largely on account of his professed dislike of 'liberal notions', his depature from these shores being an opportunity for national rejoicing, his rule of Hanover was regarded by his subjects as a considerable improvement on that of his absentee predecessors. Ernst Augustus appears to have taken a large quantity of Royal Plate to augment the silver already in Hanover. Following his death in 1851, he was succeded by his son George Frederick who was himself deposed by the forces of Prussia during the was himself deposed by the forces of Prussia during the Seven Weeks' War of 1866. The Prussians sacked the Hanoverian Royal Palace but failed to find the Royal plate since the vault in which it was housed had been covered with lime, plaster and debris by workmen loyal to the Hanoverian cause. In 1923 a significant proportion of the Cumberland plate was offered for sale by Crichton Brothers, London.
The basket appears to be part of a marine inspired service made for the Duke of Cumberland. A pair of salt cellars on similar feet, also by Joseph Preedy, 1802, are engraved with the same badge. They are now in the collection of Mrs. Audrey Love (see A. Phillips and J. Sloane, Antiquity Revisited, English and French Silver-Gilr from the collection of Mrs. Audrey LOve, London, 1997, p. 41, cat. no. 3).