An Edwardian replica Holms Tudor cup
Auction: 05 March 2024 from 10:00 GMT
Description
George Nathan & Ridley Hayes, Chester 1904, the font-shaped cup with chased detail below a Latin inscription in Lombardic letters reading 'Benedictus Deus In Dona Suis Amé', the pedestal foot with two tiers of ribbed detail
Dimensions
Height: 10.4cm, weight: 10.5oz
Provenance
The Estate of Sir John and Lady Clare Keswick at Portrack House, Dumfriesshire
Footnote
Note:
The original silver gilt Tudor Cup belonged to the legendary silver collection of John Dunn-Gardner of Soham Manor, which, having been displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum was later sold in a famous Christie's auction of 1901/1902. The catalogue (Christie, Manson and Woods, 1902) extended to six volumes. The Tudor Cup achieved the highest price for any item of silver at the time, £4,100 (£300 per ounce). Later in the century an export prohibition and financial contributions from several sources including the National Art Collection's Fund (Art Fund, 2016) enabled its acquisition by the then Royal Scottish Museum (Finlay, 1959). It presently forms part of the collection of the National Museum of Scotland, and is described as a 'Silver-gilt font-shaped cup, engraved with part of a Benedictine monastic Grace in Latin intended for use after meals: English, London, maker's mark an escallop, 1521-1522'. The Museum Reference is A.1958.301 (National Museums Scotland, 2016). The cup is displayed on Level 5 in 'Art, Design and Fashion, Art of Living' and took part in the 'European Styles' Exhibition which ran from July 2011 to August 2014.