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Lot Essay
The restoration of Charles II as King of England, in 1660, saw an explosion in the demand for wrought silver as the taxes which had been levied by Oliver Cromwell, to pay for his armies, were lifted leaving taxpayers with greater disposable income. This led to a demand for silver to replace the plate which had been damaged or melted down during the Commonwealth, as well as a demand for more exuberant objects to replace the somewhat austere plate, which typified the middle of the 17th century. Silversmiths of the day, both English and later the Huguenots who settled in England having fled persecution in France, were happy to meet this demand for objects in the latest continental fashions.
Among the unique forms which evolved during this renaissance of English silversmithing were garnitures of silver or silver-gilt vases known in contemporary inventories as 'furnishing vases' though often referred to as 'ginger jars', after the Chinese or Dutch porcelain examples whose form they followed. While the earliest example of a silver 'ginger jar' is dated 1658, the height of their fashion came during the 1670s and 1680s when elaborate suites, consisting typically of baluster and tapering examples in differing sizes were displayed on furniture and mantelpieces or on wall sconces in the same manner as Chinese porcelain. As they were probably produced as special commissions many are unmarked, such as these examples, although examples by makers such as Jacob Bodendick (Christie's London, 20 November 2001, lot 86) and Thomas Jenkins (Y. Hackenbroch, English and Other Silver in the Irwin Untermeyer Collection, no. 28) are known. Even though the gauge of these vases was often thin, to accommodate the high relief decoration and due to the continued scarcity of the raw material, the size of these garnitures, and subsequent cumulative weight, made them a ready target for melting down when they fell out of fashion in the 18th century. Indeed the garniture which was sold by the executors of the Earl of Home in 1919 consisted of some seven lots, together weighing over 800 oz. While some examples engraved with Chinoiserie decoration were produced in the late 1680s the garniture fell out of fashion before the end of the 17th century. The limited period of production, as well as the ease with which they could be melted down, explains their relative scarcity today.
It seems almost certain, based on the weight and physical description in the 17 June 1919 catalogue, that the present pair of Furnishing Vases were originally part of the garniture made for the Earls of Home. While the early provenance of the Earl of Home garniture is not known there are several possibilities. One such possibility is that it was made for Alexander Home, 4th Earl of Home (d.1674) who married Anne Sackville, daughter of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset. The connection to the Earl of Dorset is interesting as the Sackville family seat, Knole, Kent, contains an extraordinary garniture not dissimilar to the present examples which perhaps the Earl of Home and his wife sought to recreate for themselves. It is also possible that the garniture entered the family in the 19th century with the marriage of Alexander, 10th Earl, to Elizabeth, second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch. As Elizabeth was the granddaughter of the Earl and Countess of Cardigan the garniture could therefore have come through either the Cardigan or Buccleuch families, indeed a toilet service of circa 1680, engraved with the initials of Mary, Countess of Cardigan was included in the 1919 sale, (Christie's London, 30 November 2006, lot 714). Important examples of restoration silver are also in the collection of the Dukes of Buccleuch, (C. Oman, Caroline Silver 1625-1688, London, 1970, pl. 63A, 66, 83A and 83B).
The vases and beakers from the fourteen piece Earl of Home garniture were sold as seven lots in the sale on 17 June 1919:
Lot 27
A Pair of Charles II Oviform Vases, unmarked, 198 oz. 8 dwt, 17 in. high.
Provenance:
Sold to Harman (£280)
The collection of Sir Ernest Joseph Cassel (1852-1921).
Exhibited:
London, 25 Park Lane Exhibition, 1929, no. 220, loaned by Lady Louis Mountbatten and the Executors of the late Sir Ernest Cassel.
Lot 28
A Pair of Beakers, mark of Thomas Issod [sic], 166 oz. 10 dwt., 17½ in. high
Provenance:
Sold to Crichton (£90)
Earl of Harewood; Christie's, London, 30 June 1965, lot 113
Judge Irwin Untermeyer
Now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Literature:
C. Oman, op cit., no. 79.
M. Clayton, The Collectors Dictionary of the Silver and Gold of Great Britain and North America, Woodbridge, pl. 707.
Y. Hackenbroch, op cit., no 58.
Lot 29
A Beaker, unmarked, 78 oz. 3 dwt., 18½ in. high
Provenance:
Sold to Crichton (£90)
The Earl of Harewood; Christie's London, 30 June 1965, lot 114.
Literature:
M. Clayton, op cit., pl. 707.
Lot 30 (the present lot)
A Pair of Charles II Oviform Vases and Covers, unmarked, 123 oz. 3 dwt. 14½ in. high.
Provenance:
Sold to Harman (£100)
with Partridge, London, by 2006.
Partridge; Christie’s, New York, 17 May 2006, lot 99.
Lot 31
A Set of Three Charles II Oviform Vases and Covers, unmarked, 157 oz. 16 dwt., 15 in and 11 in. high
Provenance:
Sold to Harman (£120)
with Bulgari, circa 1955-60.
The Carraro Rizzoli Collection Treasures from a Milanese Palazzo; Christie's, London, 14 December 2006, lot 100.
Lot 32
A Pair of Pear-Shaped Bottles and Covers, unmarked, 57 oz. 14 dwt, 12½ in. high
Provenance:
Sold to Harman (£190)
The collection of Sir Ernest Cassel (1852-1921).
Bequeathed by him to Mr. and Mrs. Winston Churchill
The Rt. Hon. Lady Spencer Churchill, GBE, Christie's London, 25 Feb 1970, lot 135.
Exhibited:
London, 25 Park Lane Exhibition, 1929, no. 756, loaned by Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill.
Lot 33
A pair of Charles II Beakers, 55 oz. 17 dwt., 12 in.
Provenance:
Sold to S. J. Phillips (£60)
Sotheby's, London, 22 November 1951, lot 123
Exhibited:
London, 25 Park Lane Exhibition, 1929, no. 269, loaned by Mrs. David Gubbay.
Among the unique forms which evolved during this renaissance of English silversmithing were garnitures of silver or silver-gilt vases known in contemporary inventories as 'furnishing vases' though often referred to as 'ginger jars', after the Chinese or Dutch porcelain examples whose form they followed. While the earliest example of a silver 'ginger jar' is dated 1658, the height of their fashion came during the 1670s and 1680s when elaborate suites, consisting typically of baluster and tapering examples in differing sizes were displayed on furniture and mantelpieces or on wall sconces in the same manner as Chinese porcelain. As they were probably produced as special commissions many are unmarked, such as these examples, although examples by makers such as Jacob Bodendick (Christie's London, 20 November 2001, lot 86) and Thomas Jenkins (Y. Hackenbroch, English and Other Silver in the Irwin Untermeyer Collection, no. 28) are known. Even though the gauge of these vases was often thin, to accommodate the high relief decoration and due to the continued scarcity of the raw material, the size of these garnitures, and subsequent cumulative weight, made them a ready target for melting down when they fell out of fashion in the 18th century. Indeed the garniture which was sold by the executors of the Earl of Home in 1919 consisted of some seven lots, together weighing over 800 oz. While some examples engraved with Chinoiserie decoration were produced in the late 1680s the garniture fell out of fashion before the end of the 17th century. The limited period of production, as well as the ease with which they could be melted down, explains their relative scarcity today.
It seems almost certain, based on the weight and physical description in the 17 June 1919 catalogue, that the present pair of Furnishing Vases were originally part of the garniture made for the Earls of Home. While the early provenance of the Earl of Home garniture is not known there are several possibilities. One such possibility is that it was made for Alexander Home, 4th Earl of Home (d.1674) who married Anne Sackville, daughter of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset. The connection to the Earl of Dorset is interesting as the Sackville family seat, Knole, Kent, contains an extraordinary garniture not dissimilar to the present examples which perhaps the Earl of Home and his wife sought to recreate for themselves. It is also possible that the garniture entered the family in the 19th century with the marriage of Alexander, 10th Earl, to Elizabeth, second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch. As Elizabeth was the granddaughter of the Earl and Countess of Cardigan the garniture could therefore have come through either the Cardigan or Buccleuch families, indeed a toilet service of circa 1680, engraved with the initials of Mary, Countess of Cardigan was included in the 1919 sale, (Christie's London, 30 November 2006, lot 714). Important examples of restoration silver are also in the collection of the Dukes of Buccleuch, (C. Oman, Caroline Silver 1625-1688, London, 1970, pl. 63A, 66, 83A and 83B).
The vases and beakers from the fourteen piece Earl of Home garniture were sold as seven lots in the sale on 17 June 1919:
Lot 27
A Pair of Charles II Oviform Vases, unmarked, 198 oz. 8 dwt, 17 in. high.
Provenance:
Sold to Harman (£280)
The collection of Sir Ernest Joseph Cassel (1852-1921).
Exhibited:
London, 25 Park Lane Exhibition, 1929, no. 220, loaned by Lady Louis Mountbatten and the Executors of the late Sir Ernest Cassel.
Lot 28
A Pair of Beakers, mark of Thomas Issod [sic], 166 oz. 10 dwt., 17½ in. high
Provenance:
Sold to Crichton (£90)
Earl of Harewood; Christie's, London, 30 June 1965, lot 113
Judge Irwin Untermeyer
Now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Literature:
C. Oman, op cit., no. 79.
M. Clayton, The Collectors Dictionary of the Silver and Gold of Great Britain and North America, Woodbridge, pl. 707.
Y. Hackenbroch, op cit., no 58.
Lot 29
A Beaker, unmarked, 78 oz. 3 dwt., 18½ in. high
Provenance:
Sold to Crichton (£90)
The Earl of Harewood; Christie's London, 30 June 1965, lot 114.
Literature:
M. Clayton, op cit., pl. 707.
Lot 30 (the present lot)
A Pair of Charles II Oviform Vases and Covers, unmarked, 123 oz. 3 dwt. 14½ in. high.
Provenance:
Sold to Harman (£100)
with Partridge, London, by 2006.
Partridge; Christie’s, New York, 17 May 2006, lot 99.
Lot 31
A Set of Three Charles II Oviform Vases and Covers, unmarked, 157 oz. 16 dwt., 15 in and 11 in. high
Provenance:
Sold to Harman (£120)
with Bulgari, circa 1955-60.
The Carraro Rizzoli Collection Treasures from a Milanese Palazzo; Christie's, London, 14 December 2006, lot 100.
Lot 32
A Pair of Pear-Shaped Bottles and Covers, unmarked, 57 oz. 14 dwt, 12½ in. high
Provenance:
Sold to Harman (£190)
The collection of Sir Ernest Cassel (1852-1921).
Bequeathed by him to Mr. and Mrs. Winston Churchill
The Rt. Hon. Lady Spencer Churchill, GBE, Christie's London, 25 Feb 1970, lot 135.
Exhibited:
London, 25 Park Lane Exhibition, 1929, no. 756, loaned by Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill.
Lot 33
A pair of Charles II Beakers, 55 oz. 17 dwt., 12 in.
Provenance:
Sold to S. J. Phillips (£60)
Sotheby's, London, 22 November 1951, lot 123
Exhibited:
London, 25 Park Lane Exhibition, 1929, no. 269, loaned by Mrs. David Gubbay.