£18,750
Five Centuries: Furniture, Paintings & Works of Art from 1600 | 571
Auction: 4 September 2019 at 11:00 BST
with a flared bucket bowl wheel-engraved with the profile of the Duke of Cumberland, within the inscription 'HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS WILLIAM DUKE OF CUMBERLAND', on a double knopped air twist stem and conical foot, with a paper label for A. Churchill Glass
Provenance: Ex Arthur Churchill Glass Limited;
Private collection of G. S. May, Esquire
Note: Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (1721-1765) was the third and youngest son of King George II, gaining his title in 1726 at the age of four. He is best remembered for his role in defeating the Jacobite Rebellion at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, an event which earned him the title of ‘Butcher Cumberland' from his Tory opponents. His military action was widely celebrated, particularly in the Lowlands of Scotland and the South of England where he was also branded ‘Sweet William’. This, however, proved to be the highlight of his military career, and in 1757 he diverted his attentions to politics and horse racing.
Whilst engraved glassware commemorating popular figures and royals during the Georgian period are known, this glass depicting the portrait of the Duke of Cumberland forms part of a rare group of Anti-Jacobite pieces produced during the 18th century.
Arthur Churchill Glass Limited, who once sold this particular glass, was one of the most highly regarded dealers and authors about antique glass from the 1930s through to the 1970s.