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Lot Essay
The inscription translates "Nicholas Emperor of all Russia, established a prize for an equestrian contest, remembering Ascot races, at which he himself had been present as a guest of Queen Victoria in June 1844."
The Emperor had attended The Gold Cup, the oldest and most prestigious race at Ascot. In 1845 The Gold Cup was renamed The Emperor's Vase. The Emperor agreed to sponsor the event and present a piece of plate worth £500 to the winner of the race. The tradition continued until the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854 when the race reverted back to its original name, The Gold Cup. This particular trophy was won by Alarm in 1846, a horse sired by Venison, foaled in 1842, and owned by Mr. Greville.
The trophy was described in The Times, June 8, 1846, "The prize annually presented by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia and the Royal Hunt Prize were last week submitted by Messrs. Hunt and Roskell of Bond Street, the successors of Storr and Mortimer, to the appreciation of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace, when those illustrious persons were pleased to express their approval of the designs and workmanship of both of them. The Prize given by the Emperor of Russia is this year superior in the weight of the silver and the design to that of last year. It consists of a group, St. George destroying the dragon. St. George is the patron saint of Russia as well as England, therefore, the subject is appropriate. The group is from a design of H. Baily, R.A. or at least modeled under his inspecting eye. It is more than usually spirited, treated with novelty of design, and most elaborately exquisite in the workmanship. A candelabrum with thirteen lights, forms a sylvan canopy over the figures."
The trophy is also described and illustrated in The Illustrated London News, June 13, 1846.
The Emperor had attended The Gold Cup, the oldest and most prestigious race at Ascot. In 1845 The Gold Cup was renamed The Emperor's Vase. The Emperor agreed to sponsor the event and present a piece of plate worth £500 to the winner of the race. The tradition continued until the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854 when the race reverted back to its original name, The Gold Cup. This particular trophy was won by Alarm in 1846, a horse sired by Venison, foaled in 1842, and owned by Mr. Greville.
The trophy was described in The Times, June 8, 1846, "The prize annually presented by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia and the Royal Hunt Prize were last week submitted by Messrs. Hunt and Roskell of Bond Street, the successors of Storr and Mortimer, to the appreciation of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace, when those illustrious persons were pleased to express their approval of the designs and workmanship of both of them. The Prize given by the Emperor of Russia is this year superior in the weight of the silver and the design to that of last year. It consists of a group, St. George destroying the dragon. St. George is the patron saint of Russia as well as England, therefore, the subject is appropriate. The group is from a design of H. Baily, R.A. or at least modeled under his inspecting eye. It is more than usually spirited, treated with novelty of design, and most elaborately exquisite in the workmanship. A candelabrum with thirteen lights, forms a sylvan canopy over the figures."
The trophy is also described and illustrated in The Illustrated London News, June 13, 1846.