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Lot Essay
The original arms are those of De Peyster. The later arms are those of their descendants, Chance.
This previously unrecorded bowl is an important addition to the small group of known 17th century American Dutch-type panelled bowls. According to John Pearce's study "New York's two-handled paneled silver bowls," only approximately 20 bowls are known of various sizes (see The Magazine Antiques, October 1961 and 1966). The form, produced exclusively in New York, draws upon Dutch examples for its decorative vocabulary and shape. On feast days, these "brandy bowls" were filled with raisins and brandy; guests would draw liquor with a silver spoon, and then pass the bowl to the next guest.
This bowl now joins two other known examples by New York's first native silversmith, Cornelius Vander Burgh. One paneled bowl sold at Sotheby's, New York, January 28-31, 1993, lot 135, and another smaller bowl is illustrated in Paul Guarner's "New York's First Native Born Silversmith: Cornelius Vander Burgh (Burch) 1653-1699 and His Two Marks," Silver Magazine (January-February 1993, pp. 24-27).
Vander Burgh is best known for the 1693 commission to provide a gold cup of L100 to Governor Benjamin Fletcher and the 1685 Robert Sanders beaker with its exceptional engraving, now in the Garvan Collection,Yale University Art Gallery. Given Vander Burgh's skill as a goldsmith and his high standing within the community, it is not surprising that he manufactured this bowl for the De Peyster family, one of the most illustrious New York families of Dutch descent.
The De Peyster family's history in New York commenced with the arrival of Johannis de Peyster in the 1640's. Of his numerous offspring, son Abraham de Peyster (1657-1728) is the most renowned, serving as Mayor of New York, Acting Governor of the Colony and the first Treasurer of the Provinces of New York and New Jersey. He maintained a mansion on Pearl Street in New York City. An inventory of Abraham De Peyster's estate noted in C. Louise Avery, Exhibition of Early New York Silver, 1931-32, recorded 1617½oz. of plate including, in part, 7 tankards, 10 mugs, 7 porringers, a punch bowl, candlesticks. The "punch bowl" may refer to the present lot, although another reference to 2 Cordial cups, and one ditto with cover at 90oz. may, in fact, refer to caudle cups, a term also appropriate to these paneled bowls.
This bowl is also an addition to the known extant silver bearing the De Peyster arms. A tankard by Jacobus Van der Spiegel, and a pair of trencher salt cellars, probably by Bartholomew LeRoux, are illustrated in Avery's Exhibition of Early New York Silver, figs. 40 and 78. Another two-handled paneled bowl, once belonging to the De Peyster family, is now in the collection of the New-York Historical Society. Made by Benjamin Wynkoop, the bowl is of comparable size to the present lot and bears the initials of Cornelius and Mary De Peyster who were married in 1694.
The present bowl descended within the De Peyster family through the 19th century, evidenced by two sets of miniatures which accompany the lot and the engraved 19th century coat-of-arms of Chance. One set of miniatures depicts Captain Arent Schuyler De Peyster (1799-1863) and his wife, Sarah Macomb (b. 1781). Captain De Peyster was a great-grandson of Abraham De Peyster. He was also the presumed heir to his uncle, the illustrious Royalist officer Col. Arent Schuyler De Peyster (1736-1882) who died without issue.
Of the three daughters born to Captain De Peyster and his wife, only Cornelia Maria (b. c.1805) appears to have married. The sitters represented by the second set of miniatures, Cornelia Maria De Peyster and Captain George Chance of England (d. 1861), were married on May 19, 1825 at Grace Church, New York City. The couple moved to England and settled near Birmingham. It is presumably in England that the Chance coat-of-arms and inscription DATE ABOUT 1740 GEORGE II were engraved.
[Image caption]
Arms of De Peyster
[Image catpion]
Arms of Chance
[Image caption]
Ivory miniatures of Cpt. Arent De Peyster and his wife
[Image caption]
Ivory miniatures of Cornelia Maria De Peyster and George Chance.
This previously unrecorded bowl is an important addition to the small group of known 17th century American Dutch-type panelled bowls. According to John Pearce's study "New York's two-handled paneled silver bowls," only approximately 20 bowls are known of various sizes (see The Magazine Antiques, October 1961 and 1966). The form, produced exclusively in New York, draws upon Dutch examples for its decorative vocabulary and shape. On feast days, these "brandy bowls" were filled with raisins and brandy; guests would draw liquor with a silver spoon, and then pass the bowl to the next guest.
This bowl now joins two other known examples by New York's first native silversmith, Cornelius Vander Burgh. One paneled bowl sold at Sotheby's, New York, January 28-31, 1993, lot 135, and another smaller bowl is illustrated in Paul Guarner's "New York's First Native Born Silversmith: Cornelius Vander Burgh (Burch) 1653-1699 and His Two Marks," Silver Magazine (January-February 1993, pp. 24-27).
Vander Burgh is best known for the 1693 commission to provide a gold cup of L100 to Governor Benjamin Fletcher and the 1685 Robert Sanders beaker with its exceptional engraving, now in the Garvan Collection,Yale University Art Gallery. Given Vander Burgh's skill as a goldsmith and his high standing within the community, it is not surprising that he manufactured this bowl for the De Peyster family, one of the most illustrious New York families of Dutch descent.
The De Peyster family's history in New York commenced with the arrival of Johannis de Peyster in the 1640's. Of his numerous offspring, son Abraham de Peyster (1657-1728) is the most renowned, serving as Mayor of New York, Acting Governor of the Colony and the first Treasurer of the Provinces of New York and New Jersey. He maintained a mansion on Pearl Street in New York City. An inventory of Abraham De Peyster's estate noted in C. Louise Avery, Exhibition of Early New York Silver, 1931-32, recorded 1617½oz. of plate including, in part, 7 tankards, 10 mugs, 7 porringers, a punch bowl, candlesticks. The "punch bowl" may refer to the present lot, although another reference to 2 Cordial cups, and one ditto with cover at 90oz. may, in fact, refer to caudle cups, a term also appropriate to these paneled bowls.
This bowl is also an addition to the known extant silver bearing the De Peyster arms. A tankard by Jacobus Van der Spiegel, and a pair of trencher salt cellars, probably by Bartholomew LeRoux, are illustrated in Avery's Exhibition of Early New York Silver, figs. 40 and 78. Another two-handled paneled bowl, once belonging to the De Peyster family, is now in the collection of the New-York Historical Society. Made by Benjamin Wynkoop, the bowl is of comparable size to the present lot and bears the initials of Cornelius and Mary De Peyster who were married in 1694.
The present bowl descended within the De Peyster family through the 19th century, evidenced by two sets of miniatures which accompany the lot and the engraved 19th century coat-of-arms of Chance. One set of miniatures depicts Captain Arent Schuyler De Peyster (1799-1863) and his wife, Sarah Macomb (b. 1781). Captain De Peyster was a great-grandson of Abraham De Peyster. He was also the presumed heir to his uncle, the illustrious Royalist officer Col. Arent Schuyler De Peyster (1736-1882) who died without issue.
Of the three daughters born to Captain De Peyster and his wife, only Cornelia Maria (b. c.1805) appears to have married. The sitters represented by the second set of miniatures, Cornelia Maria De Peyster and Captain George Chance of England (d. 1861), were married on May 19, 1825 at Grace Church, New York City. The couple moved to England and settled near Birmingham. It is presumably in England that the Chance coat-of-arms and inscription DATE ABOUT 1740 GEORGE II were engraved.
[Image caption]
Arms of De Peyster
[Image catpion]
Arms of Chance
[Image caption]
Ivory miniatures of Cpt. Arent De Peyster and his wife
[Image caption]
Ivory miniatures of Cornelia Maria De Peyster and George Chance.