A GEORGE III BLUEJOHN URN

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THE PROPERTY OF THE KEDLESTON ESTATE TRUSTEES, REMOVED FROM KEDLESTON HALL, DERBYSHIRE (LOTS 121-128) The following lots from Kedleston Hall reflect the changing tastes introduced to the house during the 18th and 19th Centuries by the Curzon family, who have been established in Derbyshire since the time of Edward I. Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire is the masterpiece of Sir Nathaniel Curzon, 5th Bt. (1726-1804) created Baron Scarsdale in 1761. Long before his inheritance of the estate in 1758 he had begun planning the replacement of his father's red brick mansion with a Roman villa appropriate to its Arcadian landscaped park. He instigated the work with the assistance of Matthew Brettingham (d. 1769) architect of Holkham Hall, Norfolk and author of its Plans, Elevations and Sections, 1761, together with James Paine (d. 1789), architect of Doncaster Mansion House and author of its Plans, Elevations and Sections, 1751. In addition he consulted the artist/architect James Stuart, famed author of The Antiquities of Athens, 1762, vol. I, before finally placing control in the hands of the Rome-trained architect Robert 'Bob the Roman' Adam (d. 1792), author of Ruins of the Palace of Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro, 1764. His principal rooms-of-entertainment focused around an imperial marble banqueting hall and a Pantheonic saloon. The grand mahogany dining-table (lot 124) may well have been one of two commissioned for the house and may have been supplied by the Berkeley Square firm of William and John Linnell who were employed by Lord Scarsdale from 1758 to 1796. The marble-topped and oak-framed sideboard tables (lot 123) were amongst the furniture supplied for the ground floor and were listed in the Steward's Room in an 1804 inventory. In the early 19th Century Lord Scarsdale's son, Nathaniel, 2nd Baron Scarsdale set about the refurnishing of some of the apartments in the family pavilion with the assistance of Gamble and Bridgen of Derby, and the elegant set of Sheraton style quartetto tables (lot 127) was amongst the furniture supplied by this local firm.

Details

A GEORGE III BLUEJOHN URN
With turned domed top and ball finial, on a inch socle and turned pedestal with square black marble base
13½ in. high

Provenance

Possibly bought by Sir Nathaniel Curzon, 5th Bt. (1726-1804), later 1st Baron Scarsdale for Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire and by descent at Kedleston.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Sir Nathaniel Curzon, 5th Bt. (1726-1804) and later 1st Baron Scarsdale, introduced a Derbyshire spar or 'bluejohn' tablet in the chimneypiece frieze of Kedleston's State Bedroom, and such 'Derbyshire' urns and vases on 'altar' plinths were displayed as chimneypiece garnitures in various rooms at the house (C. Hussey, English Country Houses: Mid-Georgian, London, 1956, pp. 70-78, figs. 136 and 142).

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