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Lot Essay
The Latin inscription on the base translates to "Nicholas Emperor of all Russia, established a prize for an equestrian contest, remembering Ascot races, at which he himself had been present as a guest of Queen Victoria in June 1844."
THE EMPEROR’S PLATE
The present lot is the second of a series of nine magnificent trophies given by Emperor Nicholas I of Russia from 1845 until 1853 to the winner's of the Emperor's Plate of the Ascot Races. The Emperor visited England in 1844 and attended Ascot Races as a guest of Queen Victoria. In commemoration of this visit he gave the astonishing sum of 500 sovereigns for a work of extraordinary plate to be awarded each year as the Gold Cup, Ascot Races' principal prize, which was renamed the Emperor's Plate in his honor. Since its founding in 1807, the Ascot Gold Cup was and still is Britain's most prestigious race for horses racing over long distances. It is traditionally held on Ladies' Day, the Thursday of Ascot Week. Following the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853, Emperor Nicholas withdrew his patronage and the prize was reinstated as the Gold Cup.
The Emperor's Plate trophies comprise some of the most spectacular and imaginative race prizes ever commissioned. Emperor Nicholas' generous patronage gave carte blanche to the two leading Victorian silver firms, Hunt and Roskell, and later Robert Garrard to create the most impressive of prizes. These silversmiths in turn engaged the greatest sculptors of the day to create the designs and models for the nine Emperor's Plate trophies. Sculptors Edward Hodges Baily and Edmund Cotterill each designed four of the trophies, and Antoine Vechte designed the final cup in 1853.
THE NINE EMPEROR’S PLATE TROPHIES
1845: A centerpiece based on Falconet's sculpture of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg, the base flanked by Russian equestrian troops, designed by E. H. Baily and supplied by Hunt and Roskell, sold from the Estate of Alexandra Anastasia, Duchess of Abercorn, Christie’s, London, 8 July 2021, lot 35.
1846: A thirteen-light candelabrum with St George slaying the Dragon, the present lot, designed by E. H. Baily and supplied by Hunt and Roskell.
1847: A two-handled rococo vase on plinth with scenes from the life of Peter the Great, Designed by E. H. Baily and supplied by Hunt and Roskell, sold at Christie's, New York, 17 May 2011, lot 143.
1848: A circular shield centered with Peter the Great and chased with scenes of his life. Designed by Alfred Brown ‘with E. H. Baily contributing his invaluable suggestions’, Illustrated London News, June 1848, supplied by Hunt and Roskell.
1849: A centerpiece of the death of Hippolytus, designed by E. Cotterill and supplied by R. & S. Garrard and Co.
1850: A ewer cast and chased with scenes from the Labors of Hercules, designed by E. Cotterill and supplied by R. & S. Garrard and Co., exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. An illustration of the cup in the 1851 catalogue is reproduced in J. Culme, Nineteenth Century Silver, London, 1977, p. 158.
1851: A wine-cistern surmounted by figures in a sleigh being attacked by wolves, designed by E. Cotterill and supplied by R. & S. Garrard and Co., sold by a Descendent of the 2nd Earl of Strafford, Christie's, London, 30 November 2006, lot 614.
1852: A seven-light candelabrum, the theme taken from Sir Walter Scott's 'Thomas the Rhymer', designed by E. Cotterill and supplied by R. & S. Garrard and Co.
1853: A two-handled vase and cover on plinth with scenes derived from the history of the horse, designed by A. Vechte and supplied by Hunt and Roskell.
THE CANDELABRUM
The 1846 Emperor's Plate trophy was described in The Times, June 8, 1846, "The prize annually presented by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia and the Royal Hunt Prize were last week submitted by Messrs. Hunt and Roskell of Bond Street, the successors of Storr and Mortimer, to the appreciation of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace, when those illustrious persons were pleased to express their approval of the designs and workmanship of both of them. The Prize given by the Emperor of Russia is this year superior in the weight of the silver and the design to that of last year. It consists of a group, St. George destroying the dragon. St. George is the patron saint of Russia as well as England, therefore, the subject is appropriate. The group is from a design of H. Baily, R.A. or at least modeled under his inspecting eye. It is more than usually spirited, treated with novelty of design, and most elaborately exquisite in the workmanship. A candelabrum with thirteen lights, forms a sylvan canopy over the figures."
THE WINNER OF THE 1846 EMPEROR'S PLATE
The present Emperor's Plate was won by Alarm in 1846, a horse sired by Venison, and foaled in 1842. He was bred by Captain Delme, then purchased after winning the 1844 Champagne Stakes by Charles Cavendish Fulke Greville (1794 - 1865). Born in 1794, Greville's father Charles Greville was the second cousin of the 1st Earl of Warwick, and his mother was Lady Charlotte Bentinck, daughter of the 3rd Duke of Portland. In addition to playing first-class cricket from 1819 to 1827, Greville took on the duties of a Clerk of the Council in ordinary, the Head of the Privy Council Office, in 1821, serving until his retirement in 1859 under three successive sovereigns, George IV, William IV, and Victoria. Greville is most well known for his diaries, published after his death in 1865 as the Greville Papers. Due to his close contact with some of the most important political figures of the time, his exhaustive journals are considered one of the most important records of politics and court life in 19th century England.
THE EMPEROR’S PLATE
The present lot is the second of a series of nine magnificent trophies given by Emperor Nicholas I of Russia from 1845 until 1853 to the winner's of the Emperor's Plate of the Ascot Races. The Emperor visited England in 1844 and attended Ascot Races as a guest of Queen Victoria. In commemoration of this visit he gave the astonishing sum of 500 sovereigns for a work of extraordinary plate to be awarded each year as the Gold Cup, Ascot Races' principal prize, which was renamed the Emperor's Plate in his honor. Since its founding in 1807, the Ascot Gold Cup was and still is Britain's most prestigious race for horses racing over long distances. It is traditionally held on Ladies' Day, the Thursday of Ascot Week. Following the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853, Emperor Nicholas withdrew his patronage and the prize was reinstated as the Gold Cup.
The Emperor's Plate trophies comprise some of the most spectacular and imaginative race prizes ever commissioned. Emperor Nicholas' generous patronage gave carte blanche to the two leading Victorian silver firms, Hunt and Roskell, and later Robert Garrard to create the most impressive of prizes. These silversmiths in turn engaged the greatest sculptors of the day to create the designs and models for the nine Emperor's Plate trophies. Sculptors Edward Hodges Baily and Edmund Cotterill each designed four of the trophies, and Antoine Vechte designed the final cup in 1853.
THE NINE EMPEROR’S PLATE TROPHIES
1845: A centerpiece based on Falconet's sculpture of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg, the base flanked by Russian equestrian troops, designed by E. H. Baily and supplied by Hunt and Roskell, sold from the Estate of Alexandra Anastasia, Duchess of Abercorn, Christie’s, London, 8 July 2021, lot 35.
1846: A thirteen-light candelabrum with St George slaying the Dragon, the present lot, designed by E. H. Baily and supplied by Hunt and Roskell.
1847: A two-handled rococo vase on plinth with scenes from the life of Peter the Great, Designed by E. H. Baily and supplied by Hunt and Roskell, sold at Christie's, New York, 17 May 2011, lot 143.
1848: A circular shield centered with Peter the Great and chased with scenes of his life. Designed by Alfred Brown ‘with E. H. Baily contributing his invaluable suggestions’, Illustrated London News, June 1848, supplied by Hunt and Roskell.
1849: A centerpiece of the death of Hippolytus, designed by E. Cotterill and supplied by R. & S. Garrard and Co.
1850: A ewer cast and chased with scenes from the Labors of Hercules, designed by E. Cotterill and supplied by R. & S. Garrard and Co., exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. An illustration of the cup in the 1851 catalogue is reproduced in J. Culme, Nineteenth Century Silver, London, 1977, p. 158.
1851: A wine-cistern surmounted by figures in a sleigh being attacked by wolves, designed by E. Cotterill and supplied by R. & S. Garrard and Co., sold by a Descendent of the 2nd Earl of Strafford, Christie's, London, 30 November 2006, lot 614.
1852: A seven-light candelabrum, the theme taken from Sir Walter Scott's 'Thomas the Rhymer', designed by E. Cotterill and supplied by R. & S. Garrard and Co.
1853: A two-handled vase and cover on plinth with scenes derived from the history of the horse, designed by A. Vechte and supplied by Hunt and Roskell.
THE CANDELABRUM
The 1846 Emperor's Plate trophy was described in The Times, June 8, 1846, "The prize annually presented by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia and the Royal Hunt Prize were last week submitted by Messrs. Hunt and Roskell of Bond Street, the successors of Storr and Mortimer, to the appreciation of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace, when those illustrious persons were pleased to express their approval of the designs and workmanship of both of them. The Prize given by the Emperor of Russia is this year superior in the weight of the silver and the design to that of last year. It consists of a group, St. George destroying the dragon. St. George is the patron saint of Russia as well as England, therefore, the subject is appropriate. The group is from a design of H. Baily, R.A. or at least modeled under his inspecting eye. It is more than usually spirited, treated with novelty of design, and most elaborately exquisite in the workmanship. A candelabrum with thirteen lights, forms a sylvan canopy over the figures."
THE WINNER OF THE 1846 EMPEROR'S PLATE
The present Emperor's Plate was won by Alarm in 1846, a horse sired by Venison, and foaled in 1842. He was bred by Captain Delme, then purchased after winning the 1844 Champagne Stakes by Charles Cavendish Fulke Greville (1794 - 1865). Born in 1794, Greville's father Charles Greville was the second cousin of the 1st Earl of Warwick, and his mother was Lady Charlotte Bentinck, daughter of the 3rd Duke of Portland. In addition to playing first-class cricket from 1819 to 1827, Greville took on the duties of a Clerk of the Council in ordinary, the Head of the Privy Council Office, in 1821, serving until his retirement in 1859 under three successive sovereigns, George IV, William IV, and Victoria. Greville is most well known for his diaries, published after his death in 1865 as the Greville Papers. Due to his close contact with some of the most important political figures of the time, his exhaustive journals are considered one of the most important records of politics and court life in 19th century England.