Lot Essay
The marble vase is of wine-krater form with an exotic Ostrich-egg body, thyrsus-finialed lid and caryatid/hermed sphynx handles that comprise eagle-winged nymphs emerging from Roman foliage. Its pattern, but with acanthus scrolls in place of a husk-festooned medallion, relates to a sketch in Messrs. Boulton and Fothergill's metal-work Pattern Book (no. I, p. 133) preserved in the Birmingham City Museum (N. Goodison, Ormolu: The Work of Matthew Boulton London, 1974, fig. 162, no. f). The pattern dates from about 1772 and also relates to a pair of 'wing-figured' vases, with white glass bodies, that were included by Boulton and Fothergill of Soho, Birmingham in their April 1772 sale held at Christie's and Ansell's and purchased by Robert Child (d. 1782) for Osterley Park, Middlesex (N. Goodison, op.cit., pp. 166 and 167 and figs. 126-131).
A closely related pair of two-branch candelabra was offered anonymously, in these Rooms, 16 November 1995, lot 10.
A closely related pair of two-branch candelabra was offered anonymously, in these Rooms, 16 November 1995, lot 10.