Winter Warmers: Silver to Stop the Shivers

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting darker and the jingle of Santa’s sleigh is growing ever louder. What better excuse to cosy down by a roaring fire with a mug of cocoa or a good brew !

Paul Storr (Westminster 1771 – Tooting 1844), A George IV ‘Chinoiserie’ Teapot, Silver & Wood, London, 1828, Retailed by Storr & Mortimer. Available at Koopman Rare Art. 

Koopman Rare Art have just the thing to sort that winter chill and get you all warmed up.  The pieces we have selected are not only extremely useful for serving hot water, coffee, chocolate and brewing tea but are also beautiful and elegant.

This stunning antique silver tea urn by Paul Storr is beautifully elegant and detailed with a crown and griffin finial and gadrooned rim. The handles are cast with lion masks and the spout is formed as a rather lovely goose. The urn is supported on a square base ending in paw feet. This urn is perfect for dispensing hot water to make tea with a tap that allows for easy pouring.

Paul Storr (Westminster 1771 – Tooting 1844), A George III Silver Tea Urn, 
George III, London, 1809 
Bearing the arms of Sir Gore Ouseley, Ambassador to Persia .Available at Koopman Rare Art.

Early examples of tea urns were made to rest upon a brazier. The brazier held charcoal that burnt to produce heat. Hot air rising from the brazier passed through a fixed vertical copper tube inside the urn heating the surrounding water. Braziers were also used for warming plates, lighting cigars and cigarettes or for generating heat to sit around at the dinner table. We have a couple of magnificent braziers one dating to circa 1660, made in Palma, Mallorca.

A Large and Impressive Spanish Brazier, Silver-Gilt 
Palma, Majorca, circa 1660 . Available at Koopman Rare Art.

This Mallorcan brazier is has a semi spherical bowl, with a dotted outer border and two oval-shaped handles on the sides. The base which it is fixed has a hexagonal shape. It is made up of two overlying structures which have their own platforms decorated with embossed foliage motifs, oval mirrors, pyramids topped with ball and fantastic beings. A rare and exquisite piece of silver-gilt this could serve as not only a brazier but a centrepiece to any dining table.

Paul de Lamerie (Hertogenbosch 1688 – London 1751) A Spectacular Silver Brazier, London, 1745 .Available at Koopman Rare Art.

This is a later example of a brazier made in London 1745 by important silversmith Paul de Lamerie. The four lions faces that appear on the side of the brazier are of the most exceptional and striking quality. Unlike the conventional lions heads which are seen on other silver pieces of the period these are completely out of the ordinary in terms of their realism and expression. This is a phenomenal piece of tableware that deserves to be seen as much more than simply a brazier.

Feeling a bit warmer ? Now for some hot cocoa …

This magnificent George II silver chocolate pot dates to London 1759 and was made by Fuller White. The pot is decorated with a gadroon border with a detachable fluted finial and detachable cover secured by a pin terminating in a heart motif. The brilliant spout is decorated with leaf and scroll-embellishments all terminating in an eagle’s head. They may say ‘It’s what’s on the inside that counts’ but we can assure you it tastes so much better when the outside is as beautiful as this chocolate pot !

Fuller White, George II Silver Chocolate Pot, London, 1759. Available at Koopman Rare Art. 

Hot chocolate not your winter warmer? How about a good strong coffee to help you through the cold winter mornings ? This stunning Paul Storr coffee pot on stand  is an exceptional example of a coffee pot on its original burner. It is in wonderful condition as it beautifully decorated throughout to the highest quality as would be expected by Storr’s work.

Paul Storr (Westminster 1771 – Tooting 1844), A Fine George III Silver Coffee Pot on burner, London, 1816 . Available at Koopman Rare Art.

These works are available to view and purchase in our gallery located at Koopman Rare Art, The London Silver Vaults, 53/64 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1QS

For all enquiries please do not hesitate to call or email on:

020 7242 7624 / info@koopmanrareart.com

 

 

The Walpole Salver: ‘Hogarthian’ Style

We are celebrating the craftsmanship of William Hogarth born on this day in 1697 (10th November).  Hogarth was born to Richard Hogarth, a schoolmaster and Anne Gibbons who came from a working class background. At the age of 14 in 1714 Hogarth was apprenticed to Ellis Gamble in Leicester Fields as an engraver.

William Hogarth, Ellis Gamble’s Shop Card, Engraving, 1723-1733. Courtesy of The British Museum.

Ellis Gamble was a gold and silversmith who was in partnership with silversmith Paul de Lamerie from 1723-28. Hogarth started by mainly engraving trade cards, however he never finished his apprenticeship but continued to experiment with engraving as an independent engraver for copper plates.

 

William Hogarth’s engraved trade card, produced to advertise the printmaking business which the young artist set up in 1720 after leaving his apprenticeship with Ellis Gamble. Courtesy of The Royal Collection.

He experimented with designs and his early commissions included works for book illustrations, single prints and cards. Paul de Lamerie was one of the greatest silversmiths working in England in the 18^th century. The son of Hugenot parents he came to London as a small child fleeing prosecution in France. Around 1720 de Lamerie started working with Hogarth whom he met whilst he was working under Ellis Gamble. The ‘Hogarthian’ style of engraving had a huge impact on the pieces designed and made by, not just de Lamerie, but most other silversmiths from this period. Exceptional engraving such as Hogarth’s added another dimension of craftsmanship to a silversmith’s work helping to create pieces of the highest quality and design.

Paul de Lamerie (Hertogenbosch 1688 – London 1751), A George II Silver Second-Course Dish, Silver, London, 1725

In 1720 Hogarth enrolled at the John Vanderbank Art Academy and was taught painting by James Thornhill from around 1726. Hogarth is best known for his series of paintings depicting satirical modern moral subjects. Hogarth sold engravings of popular scenes on subscription. Most famously series such as Marriage-A-la-Mode, The Harlot’s Progress (1731) and The Rake’s Progress. Harlot’s Progress was about the life of a prostitute and was very different to anything else that had been produced up until this date. Rake’s Progress shows the decline of a young man into a life of drinking and immoral behaviour.

William Hogarth , Marriage A-la Mode: 1. The Marriage Settlement, 1745 
Oil on canvas 

This tea caddy was engraved with the coats of arms by Hogarth, after a design by Ellis Gamble. The same coats of arms appears on a silver-gilt spoon tray by de Lamerie which suggests that this caddy was a part of a larger tea service.

Tea Caddy by Paul de Lamerie, engraved by William Hogarth & designed by Ellis Gamble. Courtesy of The Victoria & Albert Museum.

Walpole Salver

The Walpole Salver, held in the collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum is the most famous piece of silver known to be engraved by William Hogarth. The salver was made by Paul de Lamerie between 1728 and 1729. It is a square salver on square feet with a cast and applied rim. Not only is it magnificently engraved with an intricate design it is one of Paul de Lamerie’s best known pieces of silversmithing.

Salver by Paul de Lamerie, engraved by William Hogarth. Courtesy of The Victoria & Albert Museum.

The salver was commissioned by Sir Robert Walpole to commemorate his terms as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The seal roundels are supported by a figure of Hercules flanked by allegorical figures representing calumny and envy. The salver shows a view of the City of London in the background. Elaborate strapwork decorates the border which runs between masks representing the four seasons and four cartouches located in the corners. The cartouches encompass the double cipher ‘RW’, the arms of Walpole quatering those of his wife Catherine Shorter and the Walpole crest of a Saracen’s head.

Impression from a silver tankard, Lithography by E. Chavanes after William Hogarth, 1833. Courtesy of Orbis Antique Prints.

Our gallery is located at Koopman Rare Art, The London Silver Vaults, 53/64 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1QS, please feel free to visit or take a look at our stock on our website www.koopman.art

For all enquiries please do not hesitate to call or email on:

020 7242 7624 / info@koopmanrareart.com

Giltly Pleasure: Sumptuous Silver-Gilt

Joseph Preedy, An Important Pair of Royal George III Wine Coolers, Silver-gilt, London, 1801. Available to Purchase at Koopman Rare Art.

Man has long been fascinated with the glitter of gold but its high cost and great softness rendered it impractical for many purposes. Demand for gold drove silversmiths to devise methods of applying gold to silver in order to finish objects with a luxurious radiance. Silver dipped or plated in gold is called silver gilt or vermeil in French.

Elkington & Co., A Fabulous Pair of 19th Century Candelabra, Silver-Gilt, Birmingham, 1889. Available to Purchase from Koopman Rare Art.

The process of gilding has developed through the ages and differed across the globe. In pre-Columbian South America Incas used depletion gilding by producing a layer of nearly pure gold on an object of gold alloy by the removal of other metals from its surface. Another popular ancient process, mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, was the method of overlaying or folding of gold leaf. Fire gilding with mercury was another process, which involved applying an amalgam of gold and mercury to the silver surface. The heat caused a strong bond between the gold and silver. This process was commonly used from the sixth century BC until quite recently. Electroplating has now taken over from this process using electrolysis to coat the surface with gold.

William Burwash, The Talbot Wine Coasters, Silver-Gilt, London, 1817. Available to Purchase at Koopman Rare Art.

The process of gilding, however was costly. While in 1664 Samuel Pepys complained that the cost of ‘fashion’ or the making of a piece, had risen to the same level as the raw material itself (both were 5 shillings an ounce) gilding the finished article could cost an additional 3 shillings an ounce. Gilding added approximately 25 percent to the total cost; this was considerably more than commissioning an object in silver yet still less than one in gold. By the Middle Ages European gold was worth ten to twelve times more than silver but by the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the price ratio had risen to fifteen to one. Even so achieving the golden look through gilding became ever more popular.

Luke Clennell (1781–1840), The Banquet Given by the Corporation to the Prince Regent, the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia, 18 June 1814 (The Allied Sovereigns’ Banquet). Displayed at The Guildhall Art Gallery, Courtesy of the City of London Corporation.

Silver gilt objects were often used as status symbols as exemplified by this painting of the guildhall banquet by Luke Clennell held in 1814 for the prince regent the Tsar of Russia and the King of Prussia. One dinner service is in silver gilt the other quite intentionally in silver – superior guests presented with silver gilt and the less important with silver!

Another important service is The Grand Service held in the Royal Collection. This magnificent silver-gilt dining service was commissioned by George IV. It is made up of over 4000 pieces for dining and display made by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell costing £60,000. The Grand Service is used today for all state banquets. Watch the video below taken from within Buckingham Palace showing the ballroom being prepared for a state banquet with the beautiful and elaborate silver-gilt Grand Service.

Some of the most famous silver-gilt services throughout history belonged to General Count Francois Xavier Branicki, Count Nikolai Demidoff and the Borghese service. At Koopman Rare Art pieces from these three collections have passed through the doors and are most certainly some of the most impressive pieces of antique silver. The popularity for silver-gilt soar on both sides of the channel and important silversmiths such as Maison Odiot, Martin Guillaume Biennais, Benjamin Smith and Paul Storr were leading the way.

On a more practical note silver-gilt tarnishes at a slower rate, it is lighter in weight than pure gold and much more durable. Sometimes for this reason the inside of silver pieces would be lined with gold a design called parcel-gilt like these salts by Philip Rundell to help preserve the inside from acid corrosion and tarnishing.

Philip Rundell (1746 – 1827), A Set of Four George III Silver Salts, London, 1819. Available to Purchase from Koopman Rare Art. 

Take a look at our collection of silver-gilt on our website to see the range of pieces we have for sale. 

All of these works are available to view in our gallery located at Koopman Rare Art, The London Silver Vaults, 53/64 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1QS or on our website www.koopman.art

For all enquiries please do not hesitate to call or email on:

020 7242 7624 / info@koopmanrareart.com

 

KRA’s Guide to Terms & Techniques: The Intricacy of Guilloche

Alexander James Strachan,A George III Gold Engine Turned Snuff Box, Marked 18ct, London, 1818. Available to Purchase at Koopman Rare Art.

Guilloche or engine turning is the term given to very fine, intricate geometric patterns which are mechanically engraved into soft materials such as wood, ivory, silver and gold. The machine used to produce this effect is called a lathe which uses a rotating drive which turns the piece being worked on against changeable cutting tools. A rose engine lathe was introduced later, which allowed for more intricate design and repetition of motif.

This precious bound book has been decorated using a rose engine lathe. It creates a mesmerizing effect across the gold box.

Alexander James Strachan, An Exquisite Georgian Book Snuff Box, Marked 18ct, London, 1803. Available to Purchase at Koopman Rare Art.

 

 

 

Engine turning can be traced back in history as far as the 15^th century and is believed to have been first practiced on ivory and wood. However, the practice rose to prevalence in the European courts in the 17^th century, 18th & 19th centuries. It was common for royal courts to have dedicated rooms for turning where skills could be watched for education and entertainment.

Some of the most prestigious designs made by lathes have come from the workshops of rulers including Maximilian I of Austria, Tsar Peter the Great of Russia, Louis XV and King James I among a long list of others. Guilloche on metal is believed to have begun between 1700-1750. Guilloche on gold and silver became particularly popular in the mid to late 19^th century peaking between 1880-1930. In particular Faberge was renowned for intricate and extensive guilloche that was used on the backgrounds of transparent enamels to create a gem like glow and optical spectacle. This technique was used by Karl Faberge to create his iconic eggs for Tzar Alexander III of Russia. The rose engine cut a series of parallel lines into the metal surface onto which the enamel was applied.

Alexander James Strachan, A Georgian Toothpick Case, Marked 18ct, London, 1815. Available to Purchase at Koopman Rare Art.

Alexander Strachan

One of the most renowned goldsmiths working with guilloche to the most unprecedented standard was Alexander Strachan (1774-1850).  Strachan registered his mark as a smallerworker at the Goldsmith’s Hall on 21^st September 1799 whilst he was living at Long Acre in London. His insurance policy of 1824 descirbed him as a ‘Jeweller and Engine Turner’. Strachan was the principle supplier of gold boxes to Rundell, Bridge & Rundell who were the royal  goldsmiths. Strachan also supplied the retailers Thomas Holland and Coward & Smith. In 1839 he retired to Brighton where he struggled financially before finally passing in 1850.

This gold oval snuff box is decorated with a central cartouche encircled by a laurel and filled with a four colour gold relief of an allegorical scene of music. The whole box is engine turned with laurel borders of swags and rosettes. The sides of the box with roundels topped with white gold ribbons depicting scenes of musical instruments.

 

Charles Le Bastier, A French Vari-Colour Oval Gold Box, Paris, 1778/1779. Available to Purchase at Koopman Rare Art.

Guilloche, the popular engraving technique was used for snuffboxes, jewellery and watches. Snuffboxes were ornamented boxes for holding snuff, a powdered tobacco. It was common practice in 17th century England to sniff or inhale a pinch of snuff. By the 18th century the practice had spread to other European countries. They were designed to either fit in the jacket pocket of a gentleman or be displayed on the dinner table for guests. It was an opportunity to illustrate your wealth and prestige through the quality and design of your snuff box. Top quality snuff boxes were made of gold and were sometimes decorated with portrait miniatures, enamelling, micromosaics or jewels. Snuff boxes were commonly decorated with engine turning and below we are exploring the different types of engraved designs engine turning could achieve. There are two main patterns of engine turning, rose engine and straight line. Here are a number of examples: 

 

Barleycorn Pattern

Concentric Pattern

Lightning Pattern

Pinwheel Pattern

Here is a French gold snuff box made in Paris 1789 By Jean Edme Julliot. It is a canted rectangular form with engine decorated border with lattice panel of beaded and rose head decoration. The lid has been engine turned using a consecutive cut pattern as shown in the diagram below, a series of wavy lines which run parallel to one another.

A French gold snuff box , Paris 1789 By Jean Edme Julliot marks to lid and base, of canted rectangular form with engine decorated border with consecutive cut engine turn pattern on lid. Available to Purchase at Koopman Rare Art.

Engine Turning Patterns. Courtesy of G. Phil Poirer. Follow link for an extremely interesting article on the history of guilloche.

To seen engine turning in progress take a look at the video below courtesy of Rio Grande.

 

All of these works are available to view in our gallery located at Koopman Rare Art, The London Silver Vaults, 53/64 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1QS or on our website www.koopman.art

For all enquiries please do not hesitate to call or email on:

020 7242 7624 / info@koopmanrareart.com