Sorry, you will probably never see another one of these. This one is sold.
A exceptionally rare and immensely important George III silver candlestick,
21.5 oz,
Chester, 1769
The
design Boulton & Fothergill, - This design is documented and is
known to have been produced between 1768 and 1769. - See Nicholas
Goodison - Matthew Boulton, Ormolu - plate 16 page 67, pl.133 p.187,
pl.135 p.188, The original drawing in Pattern Book 1, p. 41
Height: 32cm - 12 1/2 in
Diameter : 15.2cm - 6 in
marks slightly rubbed but visible.
Loaded.
Condition excellent.
for relevant books please see http://www.amazon.co.uk/matthew-Boulton
This candlestick is one of the earliest surviving examples of English silver in the new gout grec
style, initiated in Paris during the 1760’s. Indeed the design owes
much to the work in ormolu fashioned by Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813)
which dates from the first half of that decade. During the Seven Year
War, developments in French art and design were largely ignored by
English craftsman and were in any case associated with Britain’s main
enemy. However with the signing of the Peace of Paris in 1763, English
connoisseurs were quick to cross the Channel to acquire the latest in
Paris fashion. Foremost among these advance patrons was The Earl of
Coventry who acquired tapestries, furniture and porcelain for both his
London house and for Croome Court. Matthew Boulton, the leading
designer of the age, was quick to recognise the change in taste and
travelled himself to France in 1765, visiting both Paris and Versaille.
By the end of the decade he was importing French metal work as well as
manufacturing objects in the French style at his Soho works.
The
earliest pair of candlesticks based on the Gouthière design was made by
Boulton and Fothergill in 1768. These were exhibited at The Grosvenor
Museum, Chester in 1984 (see Literature).
The candlestick is
struck with the Chester assay mark as Boulton was obliged to send his
objects from the Birmingham Soho manufactory to Chester for
hallmarking, prior to the opening of a local assay office. In a letter
to Lord Boston, 1 November 1772, Boulton referred to `Chester where our
mark is enter’d’. This was a highly inconvenient and costly activity -
Chester was over 70 miles from Birmingham. Boulton is recorded as
complaining to his patron Lord Shelburne in January 1771 that the delay
in delivery of some candlesticks was done to the 12 days it had taken
for Chester Assay Office to `touch’. Further problems were created
after they were returned to Boulton badly packed and damaged in
transit. Pressure from Boulton and other manufacturers eventually led
to the creation of the Birmingham assay office on 31 August 1773 when
Boulton presented over 840oz of silver for assay.
Literature:
Exhibition catalogue, Sotheby’s and Grosvenor Museum Chester, 1984, p99, no 173, pair of 1768
Exhibition catalogue, Birmingham Gold and Silver 1773-1973, 1973, section A
Maurice Ridgway, Chester Silver 1727-1837, 1985, plate 34, another pair
Kenneth Quickenden, `Lyon-faced candlesticks and candelabra’, Silver Society Journal, Autumn 1999, p196-210
