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Antique Silver George III Rare & Important Gallery Tray made in 1777 for Marquess of Londonderry ( Lord Castlereagh )
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An extremely rare and important Georgian silver gallery tray made for the Marquess of Londonderry in 1777 by Robert Jones & John Scofield of London. This tray is important on two levels - 18th century gallery trays are of extreme rarity and this is the first time we have seen an oval gallery tray of this date.
| Date | 1777 |
| Made By | John Scofield & Robert Jones |
| Location | London |
| Stock Number | W83x36 |
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Antique Silver George III Rare & Important Gallery Tray made in 1777 for Marquess of Londonderry ( Lord Castlereagh )
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An extremely rare and important Georgian silver gallery tray made for the Marquess of Londonderry in 1777 by Robert Jones & John Scofield of London.
This tray is important on two levels – 18th century gallery trays are of extreme rarity and this is the first time we have seen an oval gallery tray of this date.
To add to its rarity, it was owned by the Marquess of Londonderry (often known as Lord Castlereagh) who was Chief Secretary of Ireland, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, and as British Foreign Secretary he was central to the management of the coalition that defeated Napoleon. He was the principal British diplomat at the Congress of Vienna.
The centre of the tray is wonderfully engraved with the coat of arms of King George III (1760 – 1820) and this is indicative that this would have been part of his ambassadorial silver. Above the Royal Coat of Arms, the crest of Stewart (Marquess of Londonderry) within a garter motto is engraved.
The underneath to the tray still retains the original mahogany insert (the wood is cleverly cut to reveal the hallmark). The tray is also correctly hallmarked with the makers mark and silver standard to the border.
An extraordinarily rare and historic piece with great provenance, which also happens to be in excellent condition.
Dimensions: length 64 cm, width 49.5 cm; weight (weight includes mahogany wood insert) 185 troy oz.
John Scofield was a silversmith working in London during the second half of the 18th century. He appears to have been in partnership with his brother, Robert Scofield, as the pair entered marks between 1772 and 1776. He entered a mark in partnership with Robert Jones in 1776 as a plateworker based in Bartholomew Close in the City of London. The partnership was dissolved, and all his subsequent marks are entered for him alone. He is registered as working from Bell Yard, Temple Bar in London from 1778 to 1796.
He worked for the royal goldsmiths and may have received commissions from the Prince Regent – later George IV, for his residence Carlton House in London. He worked in the neoclassical style and was noted for his very fine workmanship (which was on the rise in the latter half of the 18th century as the taste for French-influenced Rococo silverware started to recede).
By 1770, the English preference was for more formal classical decoration with shapes inspired by the ancients such as urns, vases and simple ovoid shapes and straight spouts and this is reflected in his work. His signature style was to use beaded and geometric bands, oval medallions and palmettes (although he was also known to work in a more flowing style).
There was a big demand for presentation and domestic silver, and Scofield made large ‘sideboard’ items, tea-sets and trays. He is particularly noted for his candelabra and cruets. His silver-gilt mounted glass cruet set in a frame from 1789 is now in the V&A in London, and Temple Newsam House in Leeds displays a pair of stately candelabra from 1794 which are in the form of fluted columns sporting an acanthus leaves frieze at the neck and base.
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For Europe £30.00
For the rest of World £50.00
The charges are subject to change
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