PROPERTY OF A EUROPEAN GENTLEMAN These magnificent baskets represent Lamerie's virtuosity in the rococo style during his greatest period, the late 1730s and early 1740s. They are closely related to the pair made for the 4th Duke of Bedford in 1737, still owned by his descendants and remaining in the collection of Woburn Abbey (illustrated in Susan Hare, ed., Paul de Lamerie: The Work of England's Master Silversmith, 1990, cat. no. 83, p. 129). Both pairs of baskets employ a wide heavily cast border above a band of pierced and engraved rocaille, on a deep cast base, with flat-chased rocaille in the field. While the overall composition of the design and the construction techniques used on these baskets are the same as on the Woburn baskets, the choice of motifs differs, suggesting that Lamerie's modeller created individual patterns for important patrons.

A MAGNIFICENT GEORGE II SILVER CAKE BASKET

MARK OF PAUL DE LAMERIE, LONDON, 1737

Details

A MAGNIFICENT GEORGE II SILVER CAKE BASKET
MARK OF PAUL DE LAMERIE, LONDON, 1737
Shaped oval, on openwork base richly cast with dragons and phoenix amidst scrolls and foliage, all against a trellis-chased ground, the sides pierced and engraved with foliate scrolls, the wide openwork border also cast with dragons and phoenix amidst scrolls and foliage, surmounted by a handle of cast herms formed as shepherdesses supporting a grip of stylized cornucopiae issuing scrolls and rocaille, the interior of basket finely flat-chased with foliate scrolls, trellis, and rocaille, centering an engraved coat-of-arms, the reverse engraved with an inscription, marked under base
14½in. (37cm.) long; 97oz. (3024gr.)

Provenance

S.J. Shrubsole, 1961
The Collection of Florence Gould, sold Sotheby Parke Bernet, Monaco, June 16, 1984, lot 1223 (part)

Literature

The Glory of the Goldsmith: Magnificent Gold and Silver from the Al-Tajir Collection, Christie's, London, 1989, no. 75, pp. 106-7

Exhibited

"The Glory of the Goldsmith: Magnificent Gold and Silver from the Al-Tajir Collection," Christie's, London, 1989, no. 75

Engraved

The base engraved 1871, Presented to Lee Porcher Townshend Esq. in the 13th year of his Chairmanship of quarter Sessions, by the Magistrates & other Inhabitants of the County of Chester, as an acknowledgement of their great esteem & deep gratitude, for the faithful & valuable services rendered by him for many years.

Lot Essay

The arms of those of Townshend.

Paul de Lamerie made pairs of baskets for some of his most important patrons in this period. In addition to the pair of closely related baskets made for the 4th Duke of Bedford (described above and illustrated on page 114), only four other pairs are known. A pair of 1739 made for Algernon Coote, 6th Earl of Mountrath is illustrated in The Esther Thomas Hoblitzelle Collection of English Silver, 1957, p. 46, pl. 58, and another pair engraved with the arms of Sneyd of Keele Hall is now part of the collection of the University of Keele. The Sneyd pair, dating to 1747, is illustrated in Susan Hare, Paul de Lamerie: The Work of England's Master Silversmith, London, 1990, p. 156, pl. 103. Two more pairs of silver baskets, dated 1736 and 1744, are illustrated in P.A.S. Phillips, Paul de Lamerie, Citizen and Goldsmith of London: A Study of his Life and Work, London, 1968, pls. CVII, CXLVI and CXLVII.

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