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Lot Essay
SIR JOSEPH JEKYLL
Sir Joseph Jekyll (1663-1738), son of John and Trophen Jekyll of London, began his career as a lawyer in the Middle Temple in 1680 and was called to the Bar in 1687. He was appointed Chief Justice of the County Palatine of Cheshire, which office carried jurisdiction over the counties of Denbigh, Montgomery and Flint, in 1697 and despite attempts by the Tories to remove him he was reappointed in 1707, 1711 and 1714 and only resigned on his appointment as Master of Rolls in 1717. In 1700 he was created Sergeant and was Knighted in December that year. In addition to his legal duties, Jekyll attended the House of Commons as member for Eye, Suffolk (1697-1713), for Lyminton, Hampshire (1713-1722) and for Riegate (1722-1738). In the House, Lord Hervey recorded that 'He spoke with more general weight though with less particular approbation' than his contemporaries, and his opposition to the court party on the occasion of the Marlborough election petition in March 1734/35 gave rise to Alexander Pope's lines (Epilogue to the Satires, Dialogue I, 38-40) 'Jekyll, or some odd old Whit, Who never changed his principle or his wig.' Towards the end of his life Jekyll was the object of considerable popular opprobrium for his support for the 1735 'Gin Act' which caused a levy of 20s. per gallon on the sale of spirits. He died at his seat, Brookman's, North Mymms, on 19 August 1738.
SEAL PLATE
Seals, which are a print of a coat-of-arms, either in wax, acting as a signature on an important document, or as the metal matrix with which the wax was stamped, have long been associated with precious metals, in the first instance by boxes, made in silver or silver-gilt box to protect the delicate seal, and, in the second, as the matrix, usually of a substantial size, were often made of silver. Until the 12th century their use was mostly confined to Royalty, as in Great Britain where holders of important offices would have had a seal to represent their powers in connection with their Royal office. Upon the death of the monarch, or the leaving of office, it was required by law that any seals of Royal authority be broken and defaced. After they were defaced the seals were made available for the last holder of high office as a perk of office. It became the custom by the 17th century for the recipient to commission the leading silversmiths of the day to turn the defaced seal into a piece of wrought plate incorporating an engraved version of the original seal. However, the earliest example of this is recorded in the late 16th century when Sir Nicholas Bacon (1510-1579) commissioned three cups of "covered bowles" in 1573 to be made from the matrix of the Great Seal of Queen Mary I. (see J. Banister, 'Rewards of High Office, part I', Country Life, 29 January 1981, pp. 278-9). While in some cases cups or other three dimensional objects were created from the seals it is salvers that were the most popular as their flat surfaces lent themselves well to the engraving of the seals. The earliest recorded seal salver is one made for the Charles, 1st Earl of Halifax (1661-1715), (see J. Banister, op. cit., Part II, 5 February 1981, pp. 334-6). The only other recorded seal salver by Paul de Lamerie is the magnificent Walpole salver. Made for Robert Walpole in 1728 it is engraved with the Second Exchequer Seal of George I (Paul de Lamerie The Work of England's Master Silversmith 1688-1751, London, 1990, pp. 94-95) and now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
PAUL DE LAMERIE (1688-1751)
Paul de Lamerie was born in the Netherlands in April 1688. He was the only child of Paul Souchay de la Merie, an officer in the army of William III, and his wife, Constance le Roux. They moved to London in 1689, settling in Berwick Street in Soho.
Lamerie began his journey to become one of the greatest goldsmiths working in London in the 18th century in August 1703 with his apprenticeship with Pierre Platel, another member of the growing community of Huguenots living in London at the time. Platel, who was born in Lille, arrived in London by 1688 and was made a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths' by redemption by order of the Court of Aldermen in June 1699. Platel's work shows great skill, for example a set of four candlesticks formerly in the collection of Lord Harris of Peckham (Christie's, London, 25 November 2008, lot 44) and as such would have proven a very worthy teacher for Lamerie.
Having finished his apprenticeship Lamerie registered his first mark as a largeworker on 5 February 1713 and opened a workshop in Windmill Street, near Haymarket. Within a short period of time he was producing silver and gold to the highest standards, for example the octafoil salver offered here (lot 338) and the Sutherland Wine-Cistern, hallmarked in 1719, sold from the collection of the Duke of Sutherland (Christie's, London, 29 November 1961, lot 144) and now in the collection of the Minneapolis Museum of Art.
Though specifically describing the Sutherland cistern P. A. S. Phillips says "... is the earliest piece which I know of de Lamerie's highly decorative plate, showing exceptional imagination in form and ornaments, and exhibiting unexpected power in his early work" (P. A. S. Phillips, Paul de Lamerie His Life and Work, London, 1935, p. 76) but this imagination continued to be the distinguishing feature of his output, culminating in his production of plate designed in the latest Rococo fashion, for example, the highly accomplished candlesticks made for Algernon Coote, 6th Earl of Mountrath (lot 335).
Besides producing some of the greatest silver of the 18th century Lamerie also served as captain and, later, major in the Westminster volunteer association and served on committees at the Goldsmiths' Company. Though he never served as prime warden of the company he did supply them with a great deal of plate, perhaps most famously with a ewer and basin made in 1741.
As no ledgers survive it is not possible to say exactly how much plate he supplied during the course of his long career but he certainly supplied some of the greatest patrons of the arts in England, such as Sir Robert Walpole, for whom he made at least two inkstands, the Earl of Thanet and Baron Anson, for whom he produced entire dinner services, and the Duke of Bedford.
Sir Joseph Jekyll (1663-1738), son of John and Trophen Jekyll of London, began his career as a lawyer in the Middle Temple in 1680 and was called to the Bar in 1687. He was appointed Chief Justice of the County Palatine of Cheshire, which office carried jurisdiction over the counties of Denbigh, Montgomery and Flint, in 1697 and despite attempts by the Tories to remove him he was reappointed in 1707, 1711 and 1714 and only resigned on his appointment as Master of Rolls in 1717. In 1700 he was created Sergeant and was Knighted in December that year. In addition to his legal duties, Jekyll attended the House of Commons as member for Eye, Suffolk (1697-1713), for Lyminton, Hampshire (1713-1722) and for Riegate (1722-1738). In the House, Lord Hervey recorded that 'He spoke with more general weight though with less particular approbation' than his contemporaries, and his opposition to the court party on the occasion of the Marlborough election petition in March 1734/35 gave rise to Alexander Pope's lines (Epilogue to the Satires, Dialogue I, 38-40) 'Jekyll, or some odd old Whit, Who never changed his principle or his wig.' Towards the end of his life Jekyll was the object of considerable popular opprobrium for his support for the 1735 'Gin Act' which caused a levy of 20s. per gallon on the sale of spirits. He died at his seat, Brookman's, North Mymms, on 19 August 1738.
SEAL PLATE
Seals, which are a print of a coat-of-arms, either in wax, acting as a signature on an important document, or as the metal matrix with which the wax was stamped, have long been associated with precious metals, in the first instance by boxes, made in silver or silver-gilt box to protect the delicate seal, and, in the second, as the matrix, usually of a substantial size, were often made of silver. Until the 12th century their use was mostly confined to Royalty, as in Great Britain where holders of important offices would have had a seal to represent their powers in connection with their Royal office. Upon the death of the monarch, or the leaving of office, it was required by law that any seals of Royal authority be broken and defaced. After they were defaced the seals were made available for the last holder of high office as a perk of office. It became the custom by the 17th century for the recipient to commission the leading silversmiths of the day to turn the defaced seal into a piece of wrought plate incorporating an engraved version of the original seal. However, the earliest example of this is recorded in the late 16th century when Sir Nicholas Bacon (1510-1579) commissioned three cups of "covered bowles" in 1573 to be made from the matrix of the Great Seal of Queen Mary I. (see J. Banister, 'Rewards of High Office, part I', Country Life, 29 January 1981, pp. 278-9). While in some cases cups or other three dimensional objects were created from the seals it is salvers that were the most popular as their flat surfaces lent themselves well to the engraving of the seals. The earliest recorded seal salver is one made for the Charles, 1st Earl of Halifax (1661-1715), (see J. Banister, op. cit., Part II, 5 February 1981, pp. 334-6). The only other recorded seal salver by Paul de Lamerie is the magnificent Walpole salver. Made for Robert Walpole in 1728 it is engraved with the Second Exchequer Seal of George I (Paul de Lamerie The Work of England's Master Silversmith 1688-1751, London, 1990, pp. 94-95) and now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
PAUL DE LAMERIE (1688-1751)
Paul de Lamerie was born in the Netherlands in April 1688. He was the only child of Paul Souchay de la Merie, an officer in the army of William III, and his wife, Constance le Roux. They moved to London in 1689, settling in Berwick Street in Soho.
Lamerie began his journey to become one of the greatest goldsmiths working in London in the 18th century in August 1703 with his apprenticeship with Pierre Platel, another member of the growing community of Huguenots living in London at the time. Platel, who was born in Lille, arrived in London by 1688 and was made a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths' by redemption by order of the Court of Aldermen in June 1699. Platel's work shows great skill, for example a set of four candlesticks formerly in the collection of Lord Harris of Peckham (Christie's, London, 25 November 2008, lot 44) and as such would have proven a very worthy teacher for Lamerie.
Having finished his apprenticeship Lamerie registered his first mark as a largeworker on 5 February 1713 and opened a workshop in Windmill Street, near Haymarket. Within a short period of time he was producing silver and gold to the highest standards, for example the octafoil salver offered here (lot 338) and the Sutherland Wine-Cistern, hallmarked in 1719, sold from the collection of the Duke of Sutherland (Christie's, London, 29 November 1961, lot 144) and now in the collection of the Minneapolis Museum of Art.
Though specifically describing the Sutherland cistern P. A. S. Phillips says "... is the earliest piece which I know of de Lamerie's highly decorative plate, showing exceptional imagination in form and ornaments, and exhibiting unexpected power in his early work" (P. A. S. Phillips, Paul de Lamerie His Life and Work, London, 1935, p. 76) but this imagination continued to be the distinguishing feature of his output, culminating in his production of plate designed in the latest Rococo fashion, for example, the highly accomplished candlesticks made for Algernon Coote, 6th Earl of Mountrath (lot 335).
Besides producing some of the greatest silver of the 18th century Lamerie also served as captain and, later, major in the Westminster volunteer association and served on committees at the Goldsmiths' Company. Though he never served as prime warden of the company he did supply them with a great deal of plate, perhaps most famously with a ewer and basin made in 1741.
As no ledgers survive it is not possible to say exactly how much plate he supplied during the course of his long career but he certainly supplied some of the greatest patrons of the arts in England, such as Sir Robert Walpole, for whom he made at least two inkstands, the Earl of Thanet and Baron Anson, for whom he produced entire dinner services, and the Duke of Bedford.