A SET OF SIX IRISH GEORGE II EMBOSSED BIRD PICTURES attributed to Isaac Spackman in basso relievo, depicting a stork, a golden canary, a Chinese-painted pheasant, a faun, green and red Butcher Bird (?) resting upon a tree stump, a red, grey and blue Mandarin Duck (?) with green and violet plume standing upon a rocky outlet with water below, and a brown and black Turkey Bird (?) with orange and yellow-striped neck, in original George II black and gilt-japanned frames with trellis-work angles and foliate trails, the pheasant with label to reverse No. V. the PAINTED PHEASANT from CHINA THIS Bird is rather fmaller than our Englifh Pheafant, fhaped pret- ty much like it, but the Tail longer in proportion in the middle Feather being 33inches: It's leggs and feet are of a yellow co lour and hath fhort yellow spurs, thefe Birds are pretty hardy and bear this Climate well: Sir Hans Sloan has the Cock now living, which this Bird reprefents and has had it 16 Years, restorations

Details

A SET OF SIX IRISH GEORGE II EMBOSSED BIRD PICTURES attributed to Isaac Spackman in basso relievo, depicting a stork, a golden canary, a Chinese-painted pheasant, a faun, green and red Butcher Bird (?) resting upon a tree stump, a red, grey and blue Mandarin Duck (?) with green and violet plume standing upon a rocky outlet with water below, and a brown and black Turkey Bird (?) with orange and yellow-striped neck, in original George II black and gilt-japanned frames with trellis-work angles and foliate trails, the pheasant with label to reverse No. V. the PAINTED PHEASANT from CHINA THIS Bird is rather fmaller than our Englifh Pheafant, fhaped pret- ty much like it, but the Tail longer in proportion in the middle Feather being 33inches: It's leggs and feet are of a yellow co lour and hath fhort yellow spurs, thefe Birds are pretty hardy and bear this Climate well: Sir Hans Sloan has the Cock now living, which this Bird reprefents and has had it 16 Years, restorations
12¾ x 10in. (32.5 x 25.5cm.) (6)

Lot Essay

These birds correspond most closely to the work of the Islington embosser and artist, Isaac Spackman. The Chinese pheasant that is here numbered V corresponds fairly closely to No.1 in Samuel Dixon's 1750 series of small foreign birds. The differnces are characteristic of Spackman's imitations of Dixon's works. The other birds in this group are extremely rare and it is not clear from which set they come. The pelican corresponds with one sold from the collection of the late Mrs Robert Tritton, Godmersham Park, Kent, Christie's house sale, 6-9 June 1983, lot 254 (part). The mandarin duck has not previously been recorded.
We are grateful to Robert Beardsley, Esq., for his help in preparing this catalogue entry

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