Lot 427
AN IMPRESSIVE 'CHAMBERS' COLLECTION PRESENTATION CENTREPIECE
HAMILTON & INCHES, EDINBURGH 2001
Scottish Works of Art & Whisky
Auction: Lots 413 - 580 | 21 August 2024 at 10am
Description
the funnel form bowl, to a spreading domed foot, with applied-card detail to stem, planished finish throughout, the associated wooden plinth with applied silver band engraved with presentation inscription to ‘Sir John Shaw CBE. Governor Bank of Scotland… 2001’, with presentation box
Dimensions
19cm high, 21cm with plinth, 41.4oz (weighable silver)
Footnote
Hamilton & Inches were founded in 1866 by James Hamilton and his nephew Robert Kirk Inches. With initial premises located at 88 Princes Street, the firm specialised in clocks, silver, and fine jewellery.
Sir Robert also served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1912-1916. After founding Hamilton & Inches in 1866, the firm quickly went on to become one of the leading brands in Scottish luxury. They received a royal warrant from Queen Victoria in 1893 having quickly established their name as Edinburgh’s premier jeweller and silversmith and would continue to obtain Royal Warrants from Queen Elizabeth II. In 1903 Sir Robert co-founded the Edinburgh Association of Goldsmiths, Silversmiths & Watchmakers, so as to maintain a high standard of craftsmanship amongst the city’s jewellers and silversmiths. Robert Kirk Inches' company legacy was carried on through his son Edward James and in turn ran under the ownership of his sons, Campbell and Ian. Today, it is privately owned and has recently enjoyed a luxurious refresh to its iconic Georgian-style showroom.
This building was originally home to the firm of Brook & Son another jeweller and silversmith with a warrant to the crown. Established in 1891 and trading until it merged with Hamilton & Inches in 1941, the firm was particularly known for making reproductions of the Roman treasure hoard found at Traprain Law Hill, East Lothian in 1919 and is the largest silver hoard outside the Roman Empire. The hoard dates from the 5th century and can now be found in the collection of National Museums Scotland.
Hamilton & Inches champions the very best of craft, with in house jewellers, silversmiths, engravers, polishers and watchmakers. Relocating to 87 George Street in 1952, with a sprawling warren of workshops above their luxurious showroom, Hamilton & Inches’ craftspeople have been responsible for creating some of the most iconic silverware and jewellery known around the world, including the Scottish Open trophy, the Royal Highland Show trophies, the Doddie Wier and Massimo Cuttitta cups, and silver-bound casings for seven hand-illustrated copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. They are also dedicated engravers and repairers for the Rugby Union Calcutta Cup.
In 2019, Hamilton & Inches became one of only two Scottish retailers to gain access to the Scottish gold sustainably removed from the mine at Cononish near Tyndrum. Initially crafting a 22ct Scottish gold collection inspired by Mary Queen of Scots, the company recently launched their second, highly desired 18ct range of earrings and pendants in iconic fleur-de-lys style.
This collection of Hamilton and Inches silverware showcases the depth of skill and craftsmanship from the 1870s right up to modern-day commissions such as the pair of candlesticks. Lots 427 to 439 highlight how important Hamilton and Inches have been and continue to be not only to the retail environment of Edinburgh’s George Street but in the investment in their apprentices and the continual development of craftsmanship across Scotland.