Lot 182
182
A VICTORIAN PARCEL-GILT SILVER PRESENTATION-TROWEL AND A SILVER-MOUNTED MALLET
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A VICTORIAN PARCEL-GILT SILVER PRESENTATION-TROWEL AND A SILVER-MOUNTED MALLET

MARK OF WALTER AND JOHN BARNARD, LONDON, 1884, RETAILED BY CAHOON BROTHERS, BELFAST

Details
A VICTORIAN PARCEL-GILT SILVER PRESENTATION-TROWEL AND A SILVER-MOUNTED MALLET
MARK OF WALTER AND JOHN BARNARD, LONDON, 1884, RETAILED BY CAHOON BROTHERS, BELFAST
The trowel with an engraved foliage border and a tapering handle, applied with the Spencer arms and with an earl's coronet finial, the front of the blade engraved with a depiction of the Belfast Free Public Library and the arms of Belfast, the the back with an inscription, the mallet applied with the arms of Belfast and with an inscription, with an earl's coronet finial, contained in a fitted case applied with the Spencer arms below an earl's coronet
the trowel 15¼ in. (38.5 cm.) long
the trowel 17 oz. (518 gr.)
The inscription reads 'Presented to his Excellency John Poyntz Earl Spencer K.G. Lord Lieutenant General and Governor General of Ireland on the occasion of his laying the foundation stone of the free public library in Belfast on Wednesday 18th June 1884, David Taylor J.P. Mayor, Samuel Black Town Clerk' (2)
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. Please note Payments and Collections will be unavailable on Monday 12th July 2010 due to a major update to the Client Accounting IT system. For further details please call +44 (0) 20 7839 9060 or e-mail info@christies.com

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Lot Essay

Lord and Lady Spencer travelled to Belfast from Dublin by special train on the 17th of June 1869. Before laying of the foundation stone of the new Belfast Free Library on the 18th of June Lord Spencer unveiled a portrait of Queen Victoria at the Town Hall. On their arrival at the site of the new Library they were addressed by Sir E. P. Cowan. Lord Spencer was presented by this trowel by the builders Messers. H. and J. Martin and with it he symbolically touched the newly laid foundation stone. All through their visit the Earl's party were escorted by a party of the 16th Lancers and the mounted police due to the level of unrest in the province.

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