EIGHT FORKS, TEN SPOONS, A SERVING SPOON AND TWELVE SORBET SPOONS WITH MARK OF FRANTZ PETER BUNSEN, HANOVER, CIRCA 1790, FIFTEEN FORKS, THIRTEEN SPOONS AND TWELVE SORBET SPOONS WITH MARK OF JOHANN CHRISTIAN PETER NEUTHARD, HANOVER, CIRCA 1820, ONE DESSERT SPOON WITH MARK OF JOHANN JACOB GOTTLIEB MATTHIAS, HANOVER, CIRCA 1841

Details

A GERMAN SILVER-GILT DESSERT SERVICE
EIGHT FORKS, TEN SPOONS, A SERVING SPOON AND TWELVE SORBET SPOONS WITH MARK OF FRANTZ PETER BUNSEN, HANOVER, CIRCA 1790, FIFTEEN FORKS, THIRTEEN SPOONS AND TWELVE SORBET SPOONS WITH MARK OF JOHANN CHRISTIAN PETER NEUTHARD, HANOVER, CIRCA 1820, ONE DESSERT SPOON WITH MARK OF JOHANN JACOB GOTTLIEB MATTHIAS, HANOVER, CIRCA 1841
Plain thread pattern, each engraved with the Royal cypher 'GRIII' beneath Royal crown, marked on stems and with later French control mark, comprising:
Twenty-four dessert spoons
Twenty-three dessert forks
Twenty-four sorbet spoons
A serving spoon,
Twenty-four silver-gilt knives, with filled handles and silver-gilt blades
Twenty-four cheese knives, with filled handles and steel blades stamped with a cutler's mark or 'Schmalstig' or 'Ritzinger'
weighable silver 115 oz 18 dwt. (3,605 gr.)
The cypher is that of King George III (1760-1820) of Great Britain and Ireland, Elector of Hanover.

Provenance

King George III (1760-1820) of Great Britain, Ireland and Hanover, by descent in the Royal family of Great Britain and Hanover until the death of King William IV in 1837, when the two kingdoms separated under two monarchs.
Ernest Augustus, 1st Duke of Cumberland and King of Hanover (r. 1837-1851), fifth son of King George III of Great Britain and brother of King William IV, by descent to his son
George V of Hanover, 2nd Duke of Cumberland (1819–1878) and King of Hanover until 1866, by descent to his son
Ernest Augustus II, Crown Prince of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland (1845–1923),
Glückselig und Sohn in 1924,
Crichton Brothers of London,
Rothschild collection.

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

Brought to you by

Paul Gallois

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Lot Essay

This service is from the silver-gilt dessert flatware ordered to complete the existing dinner service, made using the 12 lot standard unlike the first part made in 15 lot silver similar to the Paris standard.

The service delivered in 1790 by Frantz-Peter Bunsen comprised 'thirty-six dessert knife handles, some with steel and some with silver-gilt blades, together with thirty-six dessert forks and spoons, as well as thirty-six ice-cream spoons and four servers' (see L. Seelig, The Silver Society Journal, 'The Dinner Service made for George III by Robert-Joseph Auguste and Frantz-Peter Bunsen', no. 28, 2012, p. 91) for which there was no existing Auguste models.

Bunsen's son Johann-Daniel-Conrad (1759-1821) replaced his father as court goldsmith. In 1797 he delivered additional sets of dessert flatware; and again in 1820, forty-eight more dessert pieces were made by Johann-Christian-Peter Neuthard.

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