MARK OF JOHN WHITE, LONDON, 1729, THE ENGRAVING ATTRIBUTED TO CHARLES GARDNER

Details

A GEORGE II SILVER-GILT EWER AND BASIN FROM THE BEAUFORT DRESSING PLATE
MARK OF JOHN WHITE, LONDON, 1729, THE ENGRAVING ATTRIBUTED TO CHARLES GARDNER
Comprising a helmet-shaped ewer and a basin, the ewer on spreading circular foot engraved with foliate border, the knop engraved with a band of leaves, applied mid-way with a moulded rib and engraved on the lower part of the body with stylised strapwork, foliage and lobed panels, the foliage capped c-shaped handle rising from an applied reversed double scroll and cast and chased with mask of Venus, with shaped moulded border, the shaped oblong basin with moulded rim, the border engraved with four masks within strapwork interspersed with shells and baskets of flowers on reeded ground, each engraved with a coat-of-arms below a duke's coronet and above motto, marked on body of ewer and base of basin, and engraved with scratch weight 24.18 on ewer and 43.14 on basin
the ewer: 9 1/2 in. (24 cm.) high; the basin:14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) long
67 oz. 4 dwt. (2,091 gr.)

Provenance

Supplied by John White to Henry Scudamore (formerly Somerset), 3rd Duke of Beaufort (1707-1744), given or later bequeathed to his brother,
Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort (1709-1756), then by descent to,
Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824-1899),
A Nobleman; Christie's, London, 13 June 1895, lot 69, (£269 to C. Davis).
With Charles Davis (1849-1914), London, antique dealer.
Sir Walter Farquhar 3rd Bt. (1810-1900), who married Lady Mary Octavia Somerset, daughter of the 6th Duke of Beaufort, by descent to their fourth son,
Granville Frederick Richard Farquhar (1849-1934) of Gwernyfed Park, Breconshire,
Granville Farquhar, removed from Gwernyfed Park, Three Cocks, Breconshire; Christie's, London, 19 March 1930, part of lot 29 (£3,700 to J. R. Thomas).
With Crichton Brothers, London, 1930.
A Gentleman; Christie's, London, 17 March 1999, lot 109.
An American Collector; Christie's, New York, 16 April 2004, lot 133.

Literature

The Burlington Magazine, 'The Antique Dealers' Fair and Exhibition', vol. 73, no. 178, p. xxii and pl. III, fig D.
E. Wenham, Domestic Silver of Great Britain and Ireland, 1931, pl. LXIX.
The Antique Collector, 'Silver Toilet Services', no. 19, May-June, 1948, p. 195, fig. 5.
C. Oman, English Engraved Silver, London, 1978, pp. 98- 99.
J. D. Davis, English Silver at Williamsburg, 1979, pp. 242- 244 cat. no. 273 passim.
A. J. H. Sale, The Silver Society Journal, 'Records of Plate of the Beaufort family in the Badminton Archives and elsewhere', no. 7, Autumn 1995, pp. 381-391 and its supplement.
A. J. H. Sale and V. Brett, The Silver Society Journal, 'John White: some recent research', no . 8, Autumn 1996, pp. 465-472.

Exhibited

London, Grosvenor House, The Antique Dealers' Fair and Exhibition, 1930, Crichton Brothers.

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Harry Williams-Bulkeley International Head of Silver Department

hwilliams-bulkeley@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2666

Lot Essay

THE COMMISSION AND ITS SUBSEQUENT HISTORY
This ewer and basin formed part of a toilet service supplied by John White to the 3rd Duke of Beaufort and recorded in an invoice dated 12 July 1729 (D2700 QJ 3/12):

'May 1730
Delivered a set of polish'd dressing Plate, w 576oz 9dwt at 8s 6d per oz 241 3s 4d
For the Duty [on the service and other items] 21 14s 10d
Deld a Gilt Glass Frame w 56oz 5 at 10s per oz 28 2s 6d For Engraving coats of armes borders & Crests 28 15s 3d
[on the service and other items] For 2 Looking Glass's 5 0s 0d
For a Pincushing & diamond Case 1 0s 0d
For a case for the dressing Plate 8 0s 0d
For 4 brushes & 2 wooden linings to the Comb box 1 15s 0d'
Final payment settling the entire July 1729 account of over £1500 was made on the 30th July 1730.

This service was given either by the 3rd Duke of Beaufort to his brother on the latter's marriage in 1740, or left by him to his brother who succeeded as 4th Duke of Beaufort in 1745. The third Duke's will includes the following bequest:

'I give to my said brother Lord Charles Noel Somerset all my plate and jewels of what sort and nature the same may be.' (D2700 p.14/1)

Following the death of the 4th Duke of Beaufort in 1756 his trustees offered his plate at auction. The sale was held by Mr Prestage at his Great Room the end of Savile Row, next Conduit street, Hanover Square on Wednesday, 20 April 1757, and the service was included as lot 87 (D2700 PB 3/1):

'A set of gilt dressing plate, consisting of a glass, a bason and ewer, 6 boxes, 2 basons and covers, 2 pomatum pots, 2 bottles, a pincushion box, a weight for the hair, 2 salvers, a bell, 4 brushes, and a pair of candlesticks 561 ozs 15 dwt at 6/9 per ounce'

No total sale price was given as the set was purchased back by the Trustees on behalf of the infant 5th Duke of Beaufort as recorded in a document dated 28 October 1756 - Mich 1757 (D2700 PB 3/1):

'Ditto [i.e. purchased for His Grace] the Gilt Dressing Plate 189 11s 9 3/4d'

Included under the heading 'Gilt Plate' in the inventory taken at Badminton, in December 1835, by James Cox of Tetbury, following the death of the 6th Duke (D2700 FmN 5/1/1):

'One Set of Dressing Plate consisting of Twenty six pieces'

Included in an account totaling over £5,000 from Garrard dated June 14, 1835 for the refurbishing of an extensive group of silver sent by the 7th Duke shortly after his succession, (GL 10. Folio 139):

'Repairing & regilding a silver Gilt Toilette Service consisting of 2 large boxes 2 Octagon do 2 smaller do 1 Basin 1 Ewer 2 Octagon Basons Covers & Stands 2 Jars with covers 2 Bottle Stops 2 Candles 1 bell 1 Gold Nutmeg Grater etc" 46s 5d'

JOHN WHITE AND THE ENGRAVER CHARLES GARDNER
Arthur Grimwade suggested that John White 'either was, or employed, a particularly fine engraver who made considerable use of a grinning mask of Hogarthian type in the cartouches enclosing coat-of-arms and in strapwork borders.' Charles Oman proposed Charles Gardner was the engraver. Freed in 1714, Gardner proved to be one of the most successful engravers of his day. His work was much in demand, as eleven apprentices were bound to him and most of the time he employed three apprentices. Gardner's importance is further emphasized by the fact that the Goldsmiths' Company specifically requested that Gardner engrave new plate ordered from Paul de Lamerie, Richard Bayley, Thomas Farren and Humphrey Payne. Oman compared the engraving on the Goldsmiths' Company salvers by Bayley and Farren of 1740 and 1741, respectively, with the Beaufort jewel casket. He concluded that all were by the same hand with a 'stiff and formal rendering' of the heraldry.

A seal salver made for Lord Chancellor King (1669-1734) by John White in 1728 and signed 'CGardner Sculpt.' (Sotheby's, London, 8 June 1995, lot 122) conclusively connects the two men. A two-handled cup by John White, 1730 (Christie's, New York, 17 October 2002, lot 166), must also be the work of Gardner. Its engraved border and simulated strapwork are almost identical to those on this ewer. Charles Gardner is likely the man referred to in a letter from John White in the Badminton archives (D2700 PA 1/7): 'London July 12 1729 to Capt Burgh at his grace the Duke of Beaufort at Home Lacey Herfs I recd yours with a Bill of three Hundred Pounds on Rd Lockwood Esq. and this day sent his Grace's Plate to Badminton by John Sertain all packt in the best manner...I have this Post advertised Mr Gardiner [sic] of ye Plate being sent as above and am Sr Your most humble servant John White'.

Henry. 3rd Duke of Beaufort, by George Perfect Harding. © National Portrait Gallery, London.

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