MARK OF GEORG LOTTER III, AUGSBURG, 1700-1705

Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (1847-1929) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister from March 1894 to June 1895. In 1878, he had married Hannah de Rothschild (1851-1890), sole heiress of Baron Meyer de Rothschild. Lord Rosebery had been a friend of her father and a regular visitor to Mentmore. Rosebery was a brilliant orator, sportsman and marksman, a writer and historian, but especially a connoisseur and collector, a passion he shared with Baron Meyer. Rosebery had begun collecting at school, buying books, pictures and small pieces of silver. Throughout his life, he continued purchasing silver and works of art, adding to the collections at Mentmore, particularly German 16th and 17th century pieces, mainly from Augsburg and Nuremberg, but also English plate. In common with Baron Meyer, he had his silver engraved with his initials AR in imitation of the Saxon Elector's cypher. Lord Rosebery and his wife collected extensively, buying on their numerous excursions abroad, taking care to record their purchases. He also bought from Garrard this basin and ewer is recorded in Garrard's day book : 'August 29th 1903: A finely chased and gilt Rose Water Dish and Ewer (Augsburg AD 1710), and later recorded in the The Rothschild inventory of 1923, p. 3 as 'A 15 ¾ inch silver gilt round Rose Water Dish, chased boss and beaded centre, chased leaf, beaded and fluted edge. Augsberg [sic]. A Ewer with mask under lip to match. Foreign. Augsberg [sic]'.