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Lot Essay
Previous to the discovery of the present lot only one example of this form in the 'Henri Deux' style was known. It is recorded that an example in this style was shown at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873. According to the Minton Estimate Book this barometer was fitted and sold to Sir Richard Wallace on May 16th of the same year for one-hundred and fifty guineas - sixteen guineas less than the retail price due to damage. See Art and Industry, Sotheby's, London, 8 November 1999, lot 71 for an illustration of an 'Henri Deux' combination barometer dated 1872. Also See P. Atterbury and M. Batkin, The Dictionary of Minton, Suffolk, 1990 p. 35.
An example is also known to have been exhibited at the Exposition Universelle held in Paris, 1878. By tradition and based on archival drawings of the day, the dated barometer is thought to be the example exhibited in Vienna in 1873. However, it seems unlikely that the same example was again shown in Paris in 1878, particularly if already sold to Richard Wallace five years earlier. It is therefore likely that the present example is the one displayed at the Paris Exhibition.
In addition, a majolica example was shown on the stand of A.B. Daniell & Son at the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876. To confound identification, it would seem that the same archival drawing was used to illustrate both the 'Henri Deux' style example exhibited in Vienna and the majolica example exhibited in Philadelphia.
An example is also known to have been exhibited at the Exposition Universelle held in Paris, 1878. By tradition and based on archival drawings of the day, the dated barometer is thought to be the example exhibited in Vienna in 1873. However, it seems unlikely that the same example was again shown in Paris in 1878, particularly if already sold to Richard Wallace five years earlier. It is therefore likely that the present example is the one displayed at the Paris Exhibition.
In addition, a majolica example was shown on the stand of A.B. Daniell & Son at the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876. To confound identification, it would seem that the same archival drawing was used to illustrate both the 'Henri Deux' style example exhibited in Vienna and the majolica example exhibited in Philadelphia.