-
1 of 253523 objects
Tureens (part of The Grand Service) hallmark 1826/7
Silver gilt | 42.0 x 41.0 x 38.5 cm (whole object) | RCIN 50279
-
Four large silver-gilt scallop shell tureens, each surmounted by a triton blowing a conch shell horn. The rippled cover has a handle in the form of a coiling eel with a lobster and naturalistic vegetables. The tureen is supported on three hippocamps and a triform base cast with waves, on three feet cast in the form of tortoises, shells and coral.
These impressive tureens were supplied by Rundells for George IV's Grand Service in 1826/7 and described as '4 richly chased gilt shell pattern Soup Tureens supported by Sea Horses with Triton handle'. They were designed to match the superb Marine Service of rococo silver made for Frederick, Prince of Wales, in the 1740s. The extreme naturalism of their design parallels Nicholas Sprimont's crayfish and crab salts made in 1743. However the massive scale and weight of the tureens is quite unlike mid-eighteenth century silver and reflects the increasingly opulent tastes of George IV.
Rundells pioneered organic naturalism and the rococo revival style in silver in the early nineteenth century, largely by means of the plate that they supplied for George IV. They also drew inspiration from sixteenth and seventeenth century plate; the hippocamps or seahorses which support the tureens are derived from an early seventeenth century nautilus cup, considered by Flaxman to be by Cellini, sold to George IV by Rundells in 1823.Provenance
Delivered, with a wainscot case, to George IV by Rundell, Bridge and Rundell before 5 November 1826 (£2452 16s 9d). Designed by John Flaxman.
-
Creator(s)
(goldsmith)(designer)(manufacturer)Acquirer(s)
-
Medium and techniques
Silver gilt
Measurements
42.0 x 41.0 x 38.5 cm (whole object)
Category
Subject(s)
Featured in
ExhibitionA Royal Welcome at Buckingham Palace: Buckingham Palace
Find out what goes on behind the scenes to create the magic and magnificence of an official visit to the Palace.
ExhibitionGeorge IV: Art & Spectacle
A lavish exhibition looking at the monarch's life through the art that enriched his world