£9,500
Scottish Silver & Applied Arts | 530
Auction: 15 August 2018 at 11:00 BST
the cast candlesticks with shell clasped shaped square bases with incurved sides, with spooled and knopped stem and leaf clasped upper section and simple socket scone, with quatrefoil scones with leaf clasped corners, both base and sconces all engraved with matching crest and motto
Heraldry;
With crest of a moors head with motto GANG FORWARD above, for STIRLING
Provenance;
By tradition Judge James Graham of Airth
By descent to Mary Stirling nee Airth (second daughter of James Graham of Airth) who married John Stirling of Kippendavie
By descent
Private Collection
Notes:
These candlesticks have descended through two important Jacobite families connected with the '15 and the '45. Perhaps the most important member was Judge James Graham who is well recorded defending the Jacobite prisoners being not only a supporter but self-proclaimed defender of the Jacobites after the defeat in 1715.
James Graham worked on behalf of the Peers' and other captives at their trials in 1716 trying to provide some defence for the prisoners and while his duty seemed destined to fail, with the full weight of Hanoverian monarchy and hierarchy against him, the case he fought was considered a victory. Although appealing for leniency, and not the death penalty, was obviously his goal the likelihood of winning such terms was minimal.
Some consider the precedents he set in 1716 as the cornerstone for the treatment of prisoners after the '45, in particular the 'Four Peers', nobleman of the nation, were only hung rather than their original sentence to be hung, drawn and quartered.
The important collection of Jacobite items and relics held by the Stirling family compares to that held by the Thriepland's of Fingask and it seems their place within the Jacobites was not only important at the time but in protecting the legacy of the Cause. These relics were sold in these rooms within the 'Jacobite, Stuart & Scottish Applied Arts' auction 13th of May 2015, perhaps the most iconic of which was a Four Peers Ring, lot 20.
This original set of four Scottish candlesticks is a very rare survival with only a small number of similar sets recorded. Although by the hallmarking over two years it may at first appear they are two pairs, rather than a set of four, this is erroneous.
It seems certain that they were sent to be hallmarked within a few days of each other which just happened to extend over the change in the hallmarking year in September 1759. They are obviously of the same hand and time and the engraved crest to each is certainly been done originally by the same person.
Sending items in when they were ready rather than in one parcel is seen regularly however it is only on these rare occasions when it crosses 'two years' that it is noticeable.
This set is made even more interesting by the fact that not only is it over the two hallmarking 'years' of 1759 but over the two distinct styles of hallmarking with and without the 'Assay Master' and 'Thistle' marks applied.