Sibella Rice (early 19th Century)
Sibella Rice (early 19th Century)

A sketch book containing Figures of the Ionian Islands: St Maura; Potama Corfu; Zanta 1827; Cephelonia; an Albania 1825 Cephelonia; Greek; our Mil. man of Corfu in 1822; Zant; Corfu; Byrons maid of Athens at Corfu; Mrs Tralanna Zante 1826; Cephelona a Greek Chief, the dress worn by Trelana; with a collection of studies of flora from the Island of Corfu

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Sibella Rice (early 19th Century)
A sketch book containing Figures of the Ionian Islands: St Maura; Potama Corfu; Zanta 1827; Cephelonia; an Albania 1825 Cephelonia; Greek; our Mil. man of Corfu in 1822; Zant; Corfu; Byrons maid of Athens at Corfu; Mrs Tralanna Zante 1826; Cephelona a Greek Chief, the dress worn by Trelana; with a collection of studies of flora from the Island of Corfu
each inscribed as titled with two further inscribed 'Byrons Maid of Athens at Corfu Feb 1822 I saw her in that dress S. Rice' and 'Mrs Trelanna Zante 1826 I knew her in Zant she came with Mr T to dine with us she was a sister of a Greek Chief' also inscribed 'Sibella Rice Ionian Islands' on the upper inside cover, and further inscribed 'Sibella Rice Corfu 1822' on the lower cover
pencil and pen and ink and watercolour on paper
the album 4¾ x 7½in. (11.5 x 19cm.)
with a collection of manuscript notes relating to Colonel Rice's involvement in the battles of Nivelle and Waterloo; the family history of the Mansfield family; the lineage of Charles I; the Massacre of Glencoe; and some other small sketches

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Lot Essay

A very personal collection of watercolour sketches of the costume of the Ionian Islands made by Sibella Rice, wife of Colonel Rice who was stationed on the Islands of Corfu, Cephalonia and Zante during the islands sojourn as a dependency of the British (1815-1864). It is interesting to note that one of the drawings appears to depict Teresa Macri, the girl that is thought to have inspired Lord Byron's poem, the "Maid of Athens". During his eight month stay in Athens, Bryon lodged with the family of Dr Nicolas Macri, formerly consular-agent for Great Britain in Athens, and whilst at the house is recorded as endlessly scribbling verses on bits of paper, which he often left carelessly about. The ten year old Teresa collected some of these papers, amongst which was the poem, as a simple memento of Byron's stay with the family. Ten years later the Marcri family fled Athens as result of the Greek War of Independence and sought protection from the British on the island of Corfu. Teresa, now twenty years old and the rest of her family were well known in the circles of English society in Corfu and it is at this point that Sibella Rice would have met the young Teresa.

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