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Lot Essay
DESIGN FOR THE URNS
The design of these urns is characteristic of the antiquarian movement of the period, with its fascination for the 'antique'. Their specific form derives from ancient Greek vases in the celebrated collection of Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803), published by Pierre François Hugues d'Hancarville in Collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman Antiquities from the Cabinet of the Honorable William Hamilton, in 1766. This publication greatly promoted the antique style amongst manufactures who were partly the intended audience for the works. In his introduction d'Hancarville wrote, 'we make an agreeable present to our Manufacturers of earthenware and China, and to those who make vases in silver, copper, glass, marble, etc. Having employed much more time in working than in reflection, and being besides in great want of models they will be very glad to find more than two hundred forms . . . they may draw ideas which their ability and taste will know how to improve to their advantage, and to that of the Public.'
Josiah Wedgwood, inspired by the engravings of classical urns, produced six basalt-ware vases based on one of the Hamilton lebes-form urns (vol. II, pl. 31) in 1769, and exhibited them in London. The form was a commercial success, inspiring further ceramic adaptations, and Wedgwood's caneware version at the British Museum is identical in form to the Courtauld and Cowles examples in silver, both apparently based on another lebes in Hamilton's catalogue (vol. IV, pls. 84, 85). (see L. Campbell Hatfield, 'A Set of English Silver Condiment Vases from Kedleston Hall', Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, vol. 79, 1981, pp. 4-19).
These urns match the well-known Kedleston urns, a set of three commissioned by Nathaniel Curzon, first Baron Scarsdale, for his Adam designed house in Derbyshire. The Kedleston urns, also by Courtauld and Cowles and dated 1771, are now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The engraved decoration of the Kedleston urns was based on the Meidias Hydria in Sir William Hamilton's collection, which was sold with a number of his other vases to the British Museum in 1772, however, the source for the engraved scenes on the present urns is unknown, although they appear to be based on a literary subject.
The only other known silver urn made to this design is the third sugar urn from the Birch set, now in the collection of Courtauld PLC, illustrated in J. Hayward, The Courtauld Silver, London, 1975, pl. 31. The Kedleston urns are illustrated in T. Schroder, English Domestic Silver, London, 1988, p. 214. They were sold by the Trustees of The Kedleston Estate at Christie's, London 25 June 1980, lot 87.
CHARLES BIRCH
Birch was described as 'a merchant of St. Bartholomey behind the Royal Exchange' in the marriage register of St. Alphege Church, Greenwich at the time of his wedding to Elizabeth Creed in August 1765. At the time of his death in 1780 he was residing in Woodford, Essex. It was recorded in 'An Historical Detail of the most remarkable Publick Occurences...' in The Weekly Amusement, London, 1765, p. 128 that his wife Sarah was the youngest daughter of the late Sir James Creed a merchant and politician.
Sir James Creed (b.c.1695-1762) was a director of the East India Company and held the patent for the manufacture of white lead. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1743 and sat as M.P. for Canterbury from 1754. Whilst it is known that Baron Scarsdale was an antiquarian and owned two volumes of d'Hancarville's publication, much less is known about Charles Birch's possessions and tastes. The design for these urns shows he had an interest in classical art, however, the choice of subject for the engraved scenes suggests an appreciation of Renaissance poetry or British Roman history.