Lot Essay
This particular vase was bought by the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam on the third day of Matthew Boulton's first speculative auction at James Christie's Pall Mall Great Room in April 1771: 'A Catalogue of the Superb and elegant produce Of Messrs Boulton and Fothergill's Or moulu Manufactory, At Soho, in Staffordshire; Consisting of A variety of the most beautiful and rich articles, comprehending vases of exquisite shapes, clock-cases, candle-branches, essence pots and many other items, Which will be sold by auction, By Mr Christie...'.
The ormolu palm-wrapped and acanthus-wreathed bowl is supported on a garlanded and strigil-fluted stem of krater-vase form, derived from a pattern invented about 1760 by the architect James Stuart (d.1788). The 'poetic' laurel-festooned vase pattern, with flame-finialled lid, open wave-scrolled rim and voluted acanthus-wrapped branches is tied by a Grecian palm-flowered and fretted ribbon band.
Six other lots of the same description and almost certainly of the same pattern were sold during the three day sale (Goodison, op. cit., p. 203, n. 418). Of the total production a pair are now at Harewood House, Yorkshire (N. Harris, Chippendale, London, 1989, p. 106); a pair were formerly in the Mulliner Collection (H.H. Mulliner, The Decorative Arts in England, London, n.d. (c.1924), fig. 164. and sold from that collection in these Rooms, 10 July 1924, lot 37; and a further pair were sold from the collection of the late 1st Viscount Leverhulme, Anderson Galleries, New York, 10 February 1926, lot 165. The last pair had been at Bothwell Castle, Scotland, and were sold from there in these Rooms in June 1919. In the Leverhulme sale they were linked with a single candelabrum of a related pattern which is now in the Gerstenfeld Collection but which did not come from Bothwell Castle.
The ormolu palm-wrapped and acanthus-wreathed bowl is supported on a garlanded and strigil-fluted stem of krater-vase form, derived from a pattern invented about 1760 by the architect James Stuart (d.1788). The 'poetic' laurel-festooned vase pattern, with flame-finialled lid, open wave-scrolled rim and voluted acanthus-wrapped branches is tied by a Grecian palm-flowered and fretted ribbon band.
Six other lots of the same description and almost certainly of the same pattern were sold during the three day sale (Goodison, op. cit., p. 203, n. 418). Of the total production a pair are now at Harewood House, Yorkshire (N. Harris, Chippendale, London, 1989, p. 106); a pair were formerly in the Mulliner Collection (H.H. Mulliner, The Decorative Arts in England, London, n.d. (c.1924), fig. 164. and sold from that collection in these Rooms, 10 July 1924, lot 37; and a further pair were sold from the collection of the late 1st Viscount Leverhulme, Anderson Galleries, New York, 10 February 1926, lot 165. The last pair had been at Bothwell Castle, Scotland, and were sold from there in these Rooms in June 1919. In the Leverhulme sale they were linked with a single candelabrum of a related pattern which is now in the Gerstenfeld Collection but which did not come from Bothwell Castle.