BY HENRY CLAY, FIRST QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

Details

A REGENCY BLACK AND GILT-JAPANNED PAPIER-MACHÉ TRAY
BY HENRY CLAY, FIRST QUARTER 19TH CENTURY
Decorated with meandering foliate stems with flowers, berries and scattered butterflies,with an angled handle to either end, stamped to the underside 'CLAY KING St COVt GARDEN'
28¼ x 20¼ in. (72 x 51.5.cm.)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

This tray was made at the London premises of the Birmingham japanning and papier-mâché manufactury of Henry Clay (d. 1812). Clay, who had styled himself since the 1790's as George III's 'Japanner in Ordinary', took pride in his 'new material for painting' as being: 'infinitely superior to any substance hitherto used for its surface and durability' (R. Prosser, Birmingham Inventor and Inventions, Birmingham, 1881, p. 39).
A similar tray by Clay with a later stand was sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 20 September 2001, lot 28.

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