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Lot Essay
While the absence of the Royal arms on the present lot would make it impossible to be certain, it would seem most likely that the cover, finial and stand from the present lot formed part of the massive 'Vegetable Service' made by Edward Farrell, mostly in 1823, and supplied to Fredrick, Duke of York by Kensington Lewis.
The holloware from the 'Vegetable Service', as sold in the Duke of York sale at Christie's in 1827, weighed just under 3,200 oz. and included four soup-tureens (for two see Christie's New York, 16 October 1985, lot 199 and 200); eight circular tureens, covers and stands (for three see Christie's New York, 27 October 1992, lot 231); eight 'corner' dishes with covers and warmers (presumably including the present example and another, differently numbered and sold Sotheby's New York, 18 April 2002, lot 93) and eight sauce tureens and covers (for one see Christie's New York, 21 April 1998, lot 164).
The sale was held in an attempt to settle the massive debt, estimated between £200,000 and £500,000, which was discovered following the Duke's death. The sale, held over four days and which included the famous Achilles shield and the Hercules candelabrum, was generally considered not to have been a success, only reaching £23,438 with many items selling for much less then the inflated prices charged by Kensington Lewis during the 1820s. Lewis was in fact one of the biggest buyers in the sale and indeed bought back many of the lots from the 'Vegetable Service' and presumably then sold them on to new clients.
The holloware from the 'Vegetable Service', as sold in the Duke of York sale at Christie's in 1827, weighed just under 3,200 oz. and included four soup-tureens (for two see Christie's New York, 16 October 1985, lot 199 and 200); eight circular tureens, covers and stands (for three see Christie's New York, 27 October 1992, lot 231); eight 'corner' dishes with covers and warmers (presumably including the present example and another, differently numbered and sold Sotheby's New York, 18 April 2002, lot 93) and eight sauce tureens and covers (for one see Christie's New York, 21 April 1998, lot 164).
The sale was held in an attempt to settle the massive debt, estimated between £200,000 and £500,000, which was discovered following the Duke's death. The sale, held over four days and which included the famous Achilles shield and the Hercules candelabrum, was generally considered not to have been a success, only reaching £23,438 with many items selling for much less then the inflated prices charged by Kensington Lewis during the 1820s. Lewis was in fact one of the biggest buyers in the sale and indeed bought back many of the lots from the 'Vegetable Service' and presumably then sold them on to new clients.