A SCARCE CHINESE EXPORT ARMORIAL PORCELAIN PLATE
18TH CENTURY
Auction: Day 2: Thursday 21 August - Lots 297 - end
Description
the blue border with geometric self coloured patterns and traces of gilding, the same border to the inner well surrounding a polychromes armorial with crest, supporters and baronet badge of Nova Scotia suspended, the reverse with collection stickers, lots tag and cataloguing from the Bullivant Collection
Dimensions
24.5cm diameter
Provenance
Cecil H. Bullivant Collection, number 673
The Bullivant Collection of Armorial Porcelain, Phillips 22nd March 1988, lot 323
Private Collection
Footnote
Heraldry
The Arms of Hope of Craighall, Baronet
They may be blazoned as follows:
Arms: Azure a chevron or between three bezants
The arms are environed with the ribbon and pendant therefrom the neck badge of a Baronet of Nova Scotia (or Scotland).
Crest: A broken globe surmounted of a rainbow with clouds at each end proper
Supporters: Two females proper vested vert each sustaining in her exterior hand an anchor azure
Motto: At Spes Infracta [Yet my hope is unbroken]
Originally part of a large service commissioned by Sir Archibald Hope of Craighall in the County of Fife, the 9th Baronet of Craighall (1735-1794). Archibald was the only surviving son of Archibald Hope and his wife, Catherine Todd. As his father had pre-deceased his grandfather, the younger Archibald succeeded his grandfather, Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall, the 8th Baronet upon his death as the 9th Baronet on the 17th April 1771.
Sir Archibald married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Macdowell (died 1778), the daughter of William Macdowell of Castle Semple in the County of Renfrewshire whom he married in 1757. She was the mother of Sir Thomas, the 10th Baronet (born 1768 died 1801) and secondly to Elizabeth Patoun (died 1818), the daughter of John Patoun of Inveresk in the County of Midlothian. Elizabeth was the mother of Sir John Hope, the 11th Baronet of Craighall (born 13th April 1781 died 5th June 1853), the half-brother to Sir Archibald, the 9th Baronet.
Sir Archibald was much like his late grandfather, Sir Archibald, the 8th Baronet in that he had an interest in the improvement of agriculture in Scotland which he put into action after his purchase of Pinkie House and its surrounding estate near to Musselburgh in the County of East Lothian from the Marquess of Tweeddale in 1778.
It would appear that the only public office Sir Archibald held was that of Secretary of the Board of Police. He was appointed to his post for life, but when it was abolished he received a sum of compensation in lieu of office. He was also President of the Caledonian Hunt in 1789 at which time there was a caricature of Sir Archibald entitled as ‘Knight of the Turf’ in John Kay’s ‘Edinburgh Portraits’ published in the same year.