细节
A Victorian gilt-lined novelty pepperette modelled as a caricature of Disraeli wearing a nemes, his right hand hidden beneath the tail of his frock coat, his left hand resting on a four-sided pyramid bearing traces of gilding, Henry William Dee, London 1878, the underside also engraved with a patent registration mark and a retailer's name and address:"Jenner & Knewstub. 33, St. James's St. & 66, Jermyn St." - 3¾in., 5oz.
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See Plate 1
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Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), later created Lord Beaconsfield, Statesman and Man of Letters, was instrumental in purchasing the shares held by the Khedive of Egypt in the Suez Canal venture, thus making Great Britain half owner of the canal along with Egypt, thereby preserving our root to India. The above piece commemorates his involvement in the scheme and similar caricatures could be seen in Punch, a cartoon which appeared on July 15th 1876 entitled The Sphinx in Silence, showing Disraeli as the Sphinx and wearing the nemes or Egyptian headress featured in the pepperette. A cartoon on a similar theme entitled Mosé Egitto, also appeared on December 11th, 1876. Benjamin Disraeli was greatly admired by his contemporaries, and on his death Queen Victoria wrote to Dean Stanley:"His devotion and kindness to me, his wise counsels, his great gentleness combined with firmness, his one thought of the honour and glory of the country make the death of my dear Lord Beaconsfield a national calamity".