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Lot Essay
The arms are those of Montefiore impaling those of Cohen as borne by Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) and his wife, Judith Cohen (d. 1862).
Sir Moses Montefiore was a financier celebrated for his extraordinary philanthropic career as a representative of Jewish causes worldwide. Although born in Italy, Montefiore was educated in England, where his merchant grandfather had settled in 1758. At the age of 20, Montefiore's uncle acquired a seat for him on the London Stock Exchange, which limited the number of Jewish brokers to twelve. His marriage in 1812 to Judith Cohen, sister-in-law of Baron Nathan Meyer de Rothschild, promoted his career, allowing him to retire in 1824 with a great fortune. Montefiore then devoted his life to securing liberty for Jews in Europe and the Middle East.
In 1827, Montefiore and his wife traveled to Jerusalem, the first of seven trips to the Holy Land. Distressed at the condition of the Jewish and Christian minorities, Montefiore returned to England committed to improving the situation, and began a long career of public service as an unofficial emissary. He joined the United Deputies of British Jews, became Sheriff of London, and received a Knighthood in 1837. In 1839, Montefiore met with Khedive Mehemet Ali of Egypt, and brokered the release of Jewish prisoners persecuted on false murder charges. In 1840, in Constantinople, he convinced the Sultan to allow Jews rights equal to all other aliens living in the Ottoman Empire. After a successful mission to Russia, where he convinced the Tsar to rescind the order to remove all Jews to the interior, and after a second trip to Palestine, Montefiore received a baronetcy in 1846. These travels were followed by five more visits to the Holy Land, in 1848, 1855, 1857, 1866 and 1875.
Montefiore's humanitarian activities were not limited to Jewish causes. He acted, for example, on behalf of victims of famine and epidemics in Syria in 1855 and 1866 and of persecuted Christians in Lebanon in 1860. On the occasion of Sir Moses's 100th birthday, a public celebration took place, requiring extra trains to transport crowds from London to Ramsgate, his property in Kent. The Montefiore Centenary was recorded in The Illustrated London News, and Sir Moses received gifts from all over the world as well as acknowledgements from Queen Victoria and other members of the Royal family. He died at East Cliff Lodge, in Ramsgate, in his 102nd year (see M. Franklin and M. Bor, Sir Moses Montefiore 1784-1885, 1984).
Members of the Royal family, including the Prince Regent, ordered matching suites of salvers and trays with grapevine borders of identical pattern to the present examples. The Royal Collection retains a set of eight circular waiters and six oval trays. A suite of five salvers, two by Digby Scott and Benjamin Smith of 1803, and three by Robert Hennell of 1837, engraved with the arms of Osborne, for George, 6th Duke of Leeds (1775-1838), is illustrated in J. B. Hawkins, The Al-Tajir Collection of Silver and Gold, Vol. 1, 1983, pp. 83-85, and was sold at Christie's, London, March 17, 1999, lot 86.
Sir Moses Montefiore was a financier celebrated for his extraordinary philanthropic career as a representative of Jewish causes worldwide. Although born in Italy, Montefiore was educated in England, where his merchant grandfather had settled in 1758. At the age of 20, Montefiore's uncle acquired a seat for him on the London Stock Exchange, which limited the number of Jewish brokers to twelve. His marriage in 1812 to Judith Cohen, sister-in-law of Baron Nathan Meyer de Rothschild, promoted his career, allowing him to retire in 1824 with a great fortune. Montefiore then devoted his life to securing liberty for Jews in Europe and the Middle East.
In 1827, Montefiore and his wife traveled to Jerusalem, the first of seven trips to the Holy Land. Distressed at the condition of the Jewish and Christian minorities, Montefiore returned to England committed to improving the situation, and began a long career of public service as an unofficial emissary. He joined the United Deputies of British Jews, became Sheriff of London, and received a Knighthood in 1837. In 1839, Montefiore met with Khedive Mehemet Ali of Egypt, and brokered the release of Jewish prisoners persecuted on false murder charges. In 1840, in Constantinople, he convinced the Sultan to allow Jews rights equal to all other aliens living in the Ottoman Empire. After a successful mission to Russia, where he convinced the Tsar to rescind the order to remove all Jews to the interior, and after a second trip to Palestine, Montefiore received a baronetcy in 1846. These travels were followed by five more visits to the Holy Land, in 1848, 1855, 1857, 1866 and 1875.
Montefiore's humanitarian activities were not limited to Jewish causes. He acted, for example, on behalf of victims of famine and epidemics in Syria in 1855 and 1866 and of persecuted Christians in Lebanon in 1860. On the occasion of Sir Moses's 100th birthday, a public celebration took place, requiring extra trains to transport crowds from London to Ramsgate, his property in Kent. The Montefiore Centenary was recorded in The Illustrated London News, and Sir Moses received gifts from all over the world as well as acknowledgements from Queen Victoria and other members of the Royal family. He died at East Cliff Lodge, in Ramsgate, in his 102nd year (see M. Franklin and M. Bor, Sir Moses Montefiore 1784-1885, 1984).
Members of the Royal family, including the Prince Regent, ordered matching suites of salvers and trays with grapevine borders of identical pattern to the present examples. The Royal Collection retains a set of eight circular waiters and six oval trays. A suite of five salvers, two by Digby Scott and Benjamin Smith of 1803, and three by Robert Hennell of 1837, engraved with the arms of Osborne, for George, 6th Duke of Leeds (1775-1838), is illustrated in J. B. Hawkins, The Al-Tajir Collection of Silver and Gold, Vol. 1, 1983, pp. 83-85, and was sold at Christie's, London, March 17, 1999, lot 86.