Lot 480
Glasgow - A Scottish provincial teapot stand
Auction: 5 December 2018 at 10:00 GMT
Description
James McEwan, marked JMc, Glasgow town mark, JMc, S, of shaped oval outline with finely cast foliate and shell border, the well with chased fruiting foliage and arched borders containing engraved armorial, raised on four hoof feet
Dimensions
Length: 22cm, weight: 10.5oz
Footnote
The Arms of Napier
The armorial bearings are those of a branch of the family of Napier. They may be blazoned as follows:
Arms: Argent a saltire engrailed between four roses gules all within a bordure or
Crest: A dexter hand holding an eagle's leg erased in bend [sinister] proper armed gules
Motto: Nill (sic) veretur veritas [Truth fears nothing]
Upon the balance of probability and without any evidence to the contrary these armorial bearings reflect a kinship with the family of Napier of Ballikinrain in the County of Dumbartonshire. Given the presumed date of manufacture of this teapot stand its owner may have been a cousin to John Napier of Ballikinrain (died October 1784), the 13th of Ballikinrain and his wife, Janet Buchanan, the daughter of Moses Buchanan of Glinns in the County of Stirlingshire. Sadly, there is a dearth of genealogical information upon the branches of the particular branch of the Napier family that would
assist in pinpointing which member of the family bore these armorial bearings. So, saying, there is the possibility that a viable candidate for ownership would be one of the sons of John and Janet's only child, Janet Napier of Ballikinrain (died 1st May 1801), the 14th of Ballikinrain who married in 1776 Robert Dunmore who took the name and designation of Napier of Ballikinrain by the Courtesy of Scotland.