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Lot Essay
The monograms are those of William IV (1765-1837) and Queen Adelaide (1792-1849). These entree dishes are part of an extensive service supplied by Rundell's to the Royal family, circa 1835. A large portion of the service, weighing 10,000 ounces in all, was auctioned in 1898 at Christie's, London, from the Earl of Londesborough. The service, consisting of 168 dinner plates, 30 soup plates, a circular bread basket, four wine coolers, two pairs of soup tureens, six sauce tureens, and various meat and serving dishes, was variously engraved with both cyphers of William IV and the Queen, and just the Queen's cypher. The present lot appears to be part of lot 20 from the 1898 sale: a set of four oblong-shaped entree dishes and fluted covers surmounted by the Royal Crown, which weighed 291oz. 8dwt.
Various pieces from the service have reappeared at auction. A set of four cushion-shaped entree dishes (identified entremet dishes in the 1898 sale) sold at Christie's, New York, May 25, 1977, lot 191. A pair of circular sauce tureens sold at Christie's, London, January 29, 1947, lot 143.
IMAGE CAPTION
Queen Adelaide by Sir William Beechey, courtesy The National Portrait Gallery, London
IMAGE CAPTION
William IV, by Sir David Wilkie, courtesy The National Portrait Gallery, London
Various pieces from the service have reappeared at auction. A set of four cushion-shaped entree dishes (identified entremet dishes in the 1898 sale) sold at Christie's, New York, May 25, 1977, lot 191. A pair of circular sauce tureens sold at Christie's, London, January 29, 1947, lot 143.
IMAGE CAPTION
Queen Adelaide by Sir William Beechey, courtesy The National Portrait Gallery, London
IMAGE CAPTION
William IV, by Sir David Wilkie, courtesy The National Portrait Gallery, London