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Lot Essay
These magnificent casters can be compared to an equally spectacular set of three which were made for Thomas Wentworth, 3rd Baron Raby and 1st Earl of Strafford (1672-1739). However the present casters are considerably heavier weighing 74 ounces - the Raby set originally weighed 57 ounces 16 penny weights. The Raby casters formed just a small part of service of 3,698 ounces of silver and a further 945 ounces of silver-gilt plate granted to Lord Raby for his posting as Ambassador to the Court of Prussia on 25 September 1705. They are recorded in the records of the Jewel House as 'For Lord Raby Ambassador to Prussia - Gilt plate - one sett of castors, finely chased and wrought - £38/19s/07d'. These casters were perhaps commissioned by a Russian diplomat attending the British court
Philip Rollos, who at the time of the making of these casters was subordinate Goldsmith to Queen Anne, appears in the denization list of 1691. Although his country of origin is not recorded and virtually nothing is known of his early career, he is listed as a plate worker as early as 1675, however he did not obtain his freedom from the Goldsmiths' Company until 1697. He held the post of Subordinate Goldsmith to both King William III and Queen Anne and remained one of the most prominent Huguenot goldsmiths even until the early years of the reign of King George I.
Amongst the major surviving works by Rollos is the Marlborough Cistern, 1701, in the collection of the Earls Spencer, the Chudleigh Kingston Cistern, circa 1705, the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg and the Burghley Cistern, circa 1710, Burghley House, Stamford. There are a number of his royal commissions in existence, including a pair of Queen Anne silver-gilt tazza, attributed to Rollos, circa 1705 and A set of three Queen Anne silver-gilt casters, 1705, cited above, both from the Raby Plate, a George I ewer and basin, 1717, from the Dukes of Cumberland, The Bingley Ambassadorial cups, covers and stands, circa 1714, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, a set of Queen Anne dinner plates, 1701, orginially in the collection of the Dukes of Devonshire, and inkstand of 1716 given to Sir John Rushout 4th Bt. as Lord of the Treasury. Other private commissions include a wine fountain of 1708 made for the Duke of Leeds, a set of soup plates made for Charles, 1st Earl of Hopetoun and a chamber candlestick of 1711 from the collection of the Earls of Clanwilliam. A pair of William and Mary silver-gilt tazze, circa 1690, made for William, 5th Earl of Devonshire are being offered as lot 316 in this sale.
Philip Rollos, who at the time of the making of these casters was subordinate Goldsmith to Queen Anne, appears in the denization list of 1691. Although his country of origin is not recorded and virtually nothing is known of his early career, he is listed as a plate worker as early as 1675, however he did not obtain his freedom from the Goldsmiths' Company until 1697. He held the post of Subordinate Goldsmith to both King William III and Queen Anne and remained one of the most prominent Huguenot goldsmiths even until the early years of the reign of King George I.
Amongst the major surviving works by Rollos is the Marlborough Cistern, 1701, in the collection of the Earls Spencer, the Chudleigh Kingston Cistern, circa 1705, the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg and the Burghley Cistern, circa 1710, Burghley House, Stamford. There are a number of his royal commissions in existence, including a pair of Queen Anne silver-gilt tazza, attributed to Rollos, circa 1705 and A set of three Queen Anne silver-gilt casters, 1705, cited above, both from the Raby Plate, a George I ewer and basin, 1717, from the Dukes of Cumberland, The Bingley Ambassadorial cups, covers and stands, circa 1714, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, a set of Queen Anne dinner plates, 1701, orginially in the collection of the Dukes of Devonshire, and inkstand of 1716 given to Sir John Rushout 4th Bt. as Lord of the Treasury. Other private commissions include a wine fountain of 1708 made for the Duke of Leeds, a set of soup plates made for Charles, 1st Earl of Hopetoun and a chamber candlestick of 1711 from the collection of the Earls of Clanwilliam. A pair of William and Mary silver-gilt tazze, circa 1690, made for William, 5th Earl of Devonshire are being offered as lot 316 in this sale.