The Collection of the Earl Of Lonsdale at Lowther Castle. An important & outstanding set of four William IV cast Fruit/Dessert Dishes made in London in 1836 by John Tapley,
The Collection of the Earl Of Lonsdale at Lowther Castle. An important & outstanding set of four William IV cast Fruit/Dessert Dishes made in London in 1836 by John Tapley,
375762
Each of circular form and finely chased with spirally arranged and overlapping leaves. The centres with an 8 petalled flower head and the undersides with similar central flowers surrounded by three cast supports modelled as whelks. The outer sides engraved with the Lowther crest within a belted cartouche inscribed with the Motto of the Order of the Garter and all beneath an earl's coronet. Each fully marked and in outstanding condition.
The crest is that of William, Viscount and Baron Lowther (1757-1844), created 1st Earl of Lonsdale in 1807. He married Augusta, eldest daughter of John, 9th Earl of Westmorland, in 1781. The Earl was a significant patron of the arts and commissioned the rebuilding of Lowther Castle. He was one of the great patrons of plate in the Regency era, including owning one of the Shields of Achilles (now at Anglesey Abbey, National Trust).
Diameter: 6.5 inches, 16.25 cm.
Weight: 65.25 oz, the set.
PROVENANCE
William Lowther, 1nd Earl Lonsdale (1757-1844) of Lowther Castle Cumbria
Thence by Descent to The Right Honourable James Hugh William Lowther, 7th Earl Lonsdale (1922-2006)
Sold Christie's, February 20th, 1947, Lot 216 (6 dishes and two cream jugs), bought by R.W. Lloyd.
Sold by his executors, Christies, 27th May, 1959, Lot 67, sold to Tessiers
Subsequently Spink and Son at which point they may have been split up.
Partridge Fine Arts, 2000. (4 Bowls as the current lot)
Mr and Mrs Ronald Kellett (The Oakwood Collection, one cream jug and one bowl)
Christies, 10th June, 2008, lot 46 ( The Oakwood Collection)
ILLUSTRATED
Michael Clayton, The Collectors Dictionary of the Silver and Gold of Great Britain and North America, (2 cream jugs and one dish) incorrectly attributed to Joseph Taylor, p.107, pl. 220
Vanessa Brett, Sotheby's Directory of silver, p.262, no. 1189, dated 1842 and apparently silver-gilt.
John Culme, Nineteenth Century Silver, pp52-3 and illustrated p.144 (dated 1842)
These extraordinary dishes are amongst the best pieces of 19th century silver we have handled. The fact that they are cast makes them very special particularly as the weight of each one is so impressive. Their history, in the above provenance, is also well documented and one would suspect that they were a special commission from the 1st Earl, William Lowther, from the relatively obscure John Tapley. It is only fairly recently that the maker, once thought to be Joseph Taylor, has been positively identified as Tapley. Furthermore, it is not too surprising that the quality is high as he was a supplier to Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, the most eminent Royal retailers of silver in the first half of the 19th century. It is also apparent that Tapley made further pieces of this design some 6 years after the Lowther set. The siver-gilt bowl mentioned above and illustrated by Vanessa Brett and also that recorded and illustrated by John Culme, can be included alongside a cream jug in the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery dated one year later, 1843.
RELATED ITEMS
, created 1st Earl of Lonsdale in 1807. He married Augusta, eldest daughter of John, 9th Earl of Westmorland, in 1781. The Earl was a significant patron of the arts and commissioned the rebuilding of Lowther Castle. He was one of the great patrons of plate in the Regency era, including owning one of the Shields of Achilles (now at Anglesey Abbey, National Trust).Diameter: 6.5 inches, 16.25 cm.Weight: 65.25 oz, the set. PROVENANCEWilliam Lowther, 1nd Earl Lonsdale (1757-1844) of Lowther Castle CumbriaThence by Descent to The Right Honourable James Hugh William Lowther, 7th Earl Lonsdale (1922-2006)Sold Christie's, February 20th, 1947, Lot 216 (6 dishes and two cream jugs), bought by R.W. Lloyd.Sold by his executors, Christies, 27th May, 1959, Lot 67, sold to TessiersSubsequently Spink and Son at which point they may have been split up.Partridge Fine Arts, 2000. (4 Bowls as the current lot)Mr and Mrs Ronald Kellett (The Oakwood Collection, one cream jug and one bowl)Christies, 10th June, 2008, lot 46 ( The Oakwood Collection) ILLUSTRATEDMichael Clayton, The Collectors Dictionary of the Silver and Gold of Great Britain and North America, (2 cream jugs and one dish) incorrectly attributed to Joseph Taylor, p.107, pl. 220Vanessa Brett, Sotheby's Directory of silver, p.262, no. 1189, dated 1842 and apparently silver-gilt.John Culme, Nineteenth Century Silver, pp52-3 and illustrated p.144 (dated 1842)These extraordinary dishes are amongst the best pieces of 19th century silver we have handled. The fact that they are cast makes them very special particularly as the weight of each one is so impressive. Their history, in the above provenance, is also well documented and one would suspect that they were a special commission from the 1st Earl, William Lowther, from the relatively obscure John Tapley. It is only fairly recently that the maker, once thought to be Joseph Taylor, has been positively identified as Tapley. Furthermore, it is not too surprising that the quality is high as he was a supplier to Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, the most eminent Royal retailers of silver in the first half of the 19th century. It is also apparent that Tapley made further pieces of this design some 6 years after the Lowther set. The siver-gilt bowl mentioned above and illustrated by Vanessa Brett and also that recorded and illustrated by John Culme, can be included alongside a cream jug in the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery dated one year later, 1843.){kind=link}