Lot 88

A Grand 'Souvenir' The colossal marble vase, excavated by Sir William Hamilton in 1770/71 from the Pantanello lake near Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli, is possibly the most celebrated Grand Tour souvenir acquired by the British in the heyday of such collecting during the late 18th century. The vase purchased from Hamilton by Lord Warwick for his Castle was however, like many pieces intended for tourists, both then and now, something of a creation with intent to deceive. Quite who was entirely responsible is still of some debate although Giovanni Battista Piranesi can be given most of the credit together with the Scottish antiquary James Byres. Hamilton noted 'I was obliged to cut a block of marble at Carrara to repair it, which has been hollowed out & the fragments fixed on it'. In traditional fashion Piranesi then featured the finished vase in his 1778 publication 'Vasi, candelabri, cippi...' showing it 'as discovered' in all its 'original' glory - the ultimate in marketing.

A LATE VICTORIAN SILVER COPY OF THE 'WARWICK' VASE

MARK OF ELKINGTON & CO., BIRMINGHAM, 1898

Details

A LATE VICTORIAN SILVER COPY OF THE 'WARWICK' VASE
MARK OF ELKINGTON & CO., BIRMINGHAM, 1898
With detachable silver liner together with a George III silver plinth by Philip Rundell, London, 1819, each side engraved with coat of arms in a shallow rectangular recess
Diameter handle to handle 16 in. (41 cm.), height on plinth 16¾ in. (42.8 cm.)
253 oz. (7843 gm.) (2)

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Lot Essay

The arms on the plinth are for Eyre impaling Hulse quartering Lethieullieur for the marriage in 1803 of George Eyre JP of Bramshaw, Wilts. (died 1837) to Frances, 3rd daughter of Sir Edward Hulse Bt. of Breamore House, Hants. She predeceased her husband in 1820.

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