A SET OF TWELVE ROYAL GEORGE III SILVER DINNER-PLATES

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A TASTE FOR ROYAL SILVER AND SILVER-GILT (LOTS 13-19) Like many collectors, George Byng was drawn to the cult of the 'celebrity' sale. The early years of the 19th century provided rich pickings in every field, but perhaps no more so than in the succession of Royal sales - particularly of silver and plate - that took place between 1808 and 1843. This was no doubt triggered in part by the financially reckless pace set by George, Prince of Wales as well as a willingness to discard the outmoded and embrace the newest fashions. Byng's first foray into this collecting field was the set of thirty-six Royal dinner plates by Thomas Heming (lots 13-15). Of somewhat retardataire design to collectors in the vanguard of Regency taste, these may perhaps have been part of the Royal plate transferred to Messrs. Rundell in 1808 to be 'melted down' and re-used. Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz married King George III in September 1761 and the marriage resulted in the birth of fifteen children over a period of twenty years. Queen Charlotte's role was a difficult one and her appearance and manner invited comment from the moment of her arrival in England. Devoted to their children, the King and Queen fostered in their progeny interests in philanthropy, music, books, theatre and aspects of the sciences, as well as the fine arts. This latter interest resulted in amongst the most significant expansions in the holdings of the Royal Collection - and is admirably revealed in J.Roberts, George III and Queen Charlotte, London, 2004. Johann Zoffany's sensational portrait of Queen Charlotte and her two eldest sons, George and Frederick, executed in around 1765 - reveals both her tender maternal instincts and her interests in the decorative arts. Interestingly, the silver-gilt toilet service depicted in Zoffany's picture was probably an Augsburg example brought with her as part of her dowry in 1761. Following her death at Kew Palace in November 1818, in accordance with her will Queen Charlotte's personal collection was valued and divided equally into four lots, to be shared by her four youngest surviving daughters. After the Princesses had chosen what they wanted to keep, the remainder was sold at public auction -which was, in Princess Mary's words, 'a sad pill to swallow'. The landmark series of thirty-five sales at Christie's from 4 January to 27 August 1819 totalled the enormous sum of £59,600. Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, sixth son of George III and Queen Charlotte and perhaps the most intellectual of their children, was born at Buckingham Palace on 27 January 1773. A liberal who championed political reform, his main interests were cultural. The depth of his interests and education are perhaps best revealed in the series of sales that took place at Christie's following his death from June 1843. This included silver, pictures, miniatures, sculpture, bronzes and even pipes and tobacco - of which numerous lots were bought back by Queen Victoria for the Royal Collection. Further sales by the Duke of Sussex's sibling Frederick, Duke of York at Christie's in 1827 also appealed to Byng's acquisitive nature; indeed he almost certainly bought a pair of Boulle pedestals in the 1827 sale which are now in a Private Collection. THIRTY-SIX ROYAL DINNERPLATES BY THOMAS HEMING, 1779 LOTS 13-15 These dinner plates, engraved with George III's crown-ensigned and garter-wreathed coat-of-arms, have their rims serpentined or flowered in the manner of gothic lily cinquefoils and enriched with reed-gadroons. This antique pattern introduced by George II (d.1760) was adopted as George III's 'Coronation' service. Numbered 1 to 36 consecutively, they are struck with the mark of Thomas Heming, who was in 1760 appointed the King's 'Principal Goldsmith'. It is possible that these Royal dinner plates may have been acquired by George Byng Esq. directly from Messrs. Rundell, who were responsible for the disposal of much of the Royal plate in 1808. The crests are those of Byng, for John, 1st Earl of Strafford G.C.B. (1772-1860). Supplied to King George III. Presumably purchased by George Byng Esq., M.P. (d.1847), following the disposal of much of the Royal Plate in 1808 and then by descent to his brother, John, 1st Earl of Strafford G.C.B. (1772-1860). Manuscript Inventory of Pictures and Plate created Heirloom under the Will of the late George Stevens Byng, Earl of Strafford, December 1887.J.E. Boodle, Surveyor, 89 Chancery Lane, WC1: The Plate in the Custody of Messrs Garrard & Co, 25 Haymarket, SW1, 'thirty-six shaped gadroon dinner plates, 582.50oz.'.

A SET OF TWELVE ROYAL GEORGE III SILVER DINNER-PLATES

MARK OF THOMAS HEMING, LONDON, 1779

Details

A SET OF TWELVE ROYAL GEORGE III SILVER DINNER-PLATES
MARK OF THOMAS HEMING, LONDON, 1779
Each shaped circular with gadrooned border, engraved with the Royal arms of King George III and later with two crests and motto with earl's coronet above, each marked on reverse, also engraved with numbers 1 to 12 and with scratchweights: No 1 - 16-2; No 2=16-8; No 3= 16"8; No 4= 16"7; No5= 16"14; No6=16"10; No 7=16 17; N-8 - 16 16; N-9=16-14; No10=16"13; No 11=16"19; No12=16"14
9½ in. (24.2 cm.) diameter
194 oz. (6,045 gr.) (12)

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.

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