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Lot 785
A collection of vintage 20th century ceramic porcelain cabinet ware to include a Poole pottery fish, two Beatrix Pottery “ Mr. Alderman Ptolemy “ and “ Goody Tiptoes “ USSR ceramic bird, Royal Doulton - Merlin Whyte & Mackay Scotch whisky decanter, Haddon Hall Minton vase. Measures 19cm tall.
Lot 35
A chip-carved wooden wall-hanging cabinet,c.1900, Russia, after a design by Yelena Dimitrievna Polenova (1850-1898) for Abramtsevo, with all-over geometric and floral decoration, with a hinged square and sliding rectangular door with polychrome painted detail,38cm wide18cm deep45cm highProvenance: Iconastas, Piccadilly Arcade, St James's, London, W1.Резной деревянный настенный шкаф Около 1900г., основанный на дизайне Елены Димитриевны Поленовы (1850-1898) для Абрамцева, покрытый геометрическим и цветистым украшением, с навесной квадратной дверцей и раздвижной прямоугольной дверцей, украшенный полихромной краскойШирина: 38смГлибуна: 18смВысота: 45смПроисхождение: Иконастас, Аркада Пикадилли, Сент-Джеймс, Лондон, W1
Lot 34
A chip-carved wooden wall-hanging cabinet,c.1900, Russia, after a design by Yelena Dimitrievna Polenova (1850-1898) for Abramtsevo with all-over geometric decoration, the central section with a square door above a sliding rectangular example,40cm wide15cm deep47cm highProvenance: Iconastas, Piccadilly Arcade, St James's, London, W1.Резной деревянный настенный шкаф Конец XIX/начало XX вв., Россия, основанный на дизайне Елены Димитриевны Поленовы (1850-1898) для Абрамцева, полностью покрытый геометрическим украшением. В центральной части квадратная дверца над раздвижной прямоугольной доскойШирина: 40смГлибуна: 15смВысота: 47смПроисхождение: Иконастас, Аркада Пикадилли, Сент-Джеймс, Лондон, W1
Lot 1326
ANNA OF RUSSIA: (1693-1740) Anna Ivanovna, Empress of Russia 1730-40. D.S., `Anna´, one page, folio, 25th April 1732, in Cyrillic. The handwritten document is a decree to the Military Collegium referring to the Polish borders, the situation of them and its improvement in order to prevent people escaping, and states in part `A line and an abatis had been built along the Polish border in order to prevent peasants from escaping. Regiments outposts have been established in appropriate locations, but we do not know in what condition the line and the abatis are. Therefore, for its full examination, send officers from the Military Collegium, who are to be instructed to inspect the whole boundary line and abatis, make a thorough plan of the actual description of the situation and measures… That is to say, in which conditions and under whose custody the line and the abatis are, so that, according to that thorough plan, it can be possible to do an exhaustive evaluation to renew the line and the abatis to prevent runaways from escaping. Bring that plan and description immediately to my cabinet…´ The document has been professionally restored to the left edge. Extremely small hole and very small crease to the upper left corner, not affecting the signature, otherwise G The abatis were the ramparts of felled trees bound together and placed with their branches outwards which were used on the boundaries.
Lot 1439
An exceptional, early signed photograph, 1898 CHURCHILL WINSTON S.: (1874-1965) British Prime Minister 1940-45, 1951-55. Nobel Prize winner for Literature, 1953. An exceptionally early and fine vintage signed sepia cabinet photograph (5 x 8), the image depicting the young military officer standing in a three-quarter length pose in his uniform and holding his pith helmet in one hand. Photograph by J. Heyman & Co. of Cairo and bearing their imprint to the lower mount and verso. Signed ('Winston S. Churchill') by Churchill to a clear area at the head of the image, also adding his rank, Lieut. 4th Hussars, and the date, September 1898, in his hand beneath his signature. Signed photographs of Churchill from this early stage of his life, before entering a career of politics, are extremely rare and highly desirable. Very slightly irregularly trimmed to the borders and with just very minimal, light age wear. VG In February 1895 Churchill was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars regiment of the British Army, based at Aldershot. Following military action in Cuba and India, Churchill got himself attached to General Kitchener's campaign in the Sudan as a 21st Lancers subaltern while, additionally, working as a journalist for The Morning Post. After fighting in the Battle of Omdurman on 2nd September 1898, the 21st Lancers were stood down. In October, Churchill returned to England and began writing The River War, an account of the campaign which was published in November 1899. It was at this time that he decided to leave the army.
Lot 1448
BRITISH POLITICS: Selection of A.Ls.S. and T.Ls.S. by various British politicians of the latter half of the 20th century, each of them Cabinet ministers, including Edward Boyle, Henry Brooke, George Brown (regarding a possible Council of Europe Convention on the extra-territorial application of anti-trust legislation, 1967), John Boyd-Carpenter, David Eccles (2), Frederick Erroll, Hugh Gaitskell, Charles Hill (2), Lord Glendevon, Keith Joseph, Alan Lennox Boyd, Derick Heathcoat-Amory, Alfred Robens, Geoffrey Ripon, J. Enoch Powell, John Profumo, Hugh Molson, Reginald Maudling, Ernest Marples, Iain Macleod, Selwyn Lloyd etc. G to generally VG, 29
Lot 1449
BRITISH POLITICS: Selection of A.Ls.S. and T.Ls.S. by various British politicians of the first half of the 20th century, each of them Cabinet ministers, including George Lansbury, 2nd Earl of Selborne, Alfred Lyttelton, Arthur Ponsonby, Walter Runciman (in part, 'It was well worth entering the Brotherhood of Trinity House if only to hear of your approval. There are still one or two traditions preserved beyond vulgarity, and Trinity House stands almost alone', 1936), Philip Snowden (2; in one stating, in part, '….there is not yet that sense of community of interest among nations which has been developed among individuals composing a State through the long ages…..But I cannot help feeling that Pacts of Security with guarantees of help are at present rather dangerous things, and are liable to be an encouragement to States to provoke conflicts. It is always so difficult to define an aggressor. The late war was in a very large measure due to the alliances and understandings of the Allied Powers. I think you are right that a State which had no sinister aims would be likely to make a voluntary reduction of armaments if its security were guaranteed by international support', 1932), Edward Stanley, 6th Marquess of Londonderry, Viscount Alverstone, Patrick Gordon Walker, Viscount Stonehaven (discussing his correspondent's draft resolution and commenting '….as a matter of practical politics I am afraid the effect of the discussion which would arise out of it would be more likely to stimulate the activities of the Socialists than to create a corresponding drive among our people. There is, moreover, the general consideration which has to be taken into account, namely that the dispersal of the anti-Socialist financial resources would be further encouraged, and that it is already one of the outstanding weaknesses under which we suffer as compared with the Socialists. If all anti-Socialists could be persuaded to support financially and in other ways the Conservative Organisation up and down the country we should be in a much stronger position, but I am afraid that result would not be achieved by your proposed resolution, and, therefore, I am strongly of the opinion that it would be wiser to refrain from moving it', 1935), Clement Anderson Montague-Barlow, 1st Viscount Bridgeman (2), Baron Balfour of Burleigh, John Burns, 1st Baron Noel-Buxton, Robert Cecil (Nobel Peace prize winner, 1937), Joseph Chamberlain (2), Aretas Akers-Douglas, 5th Duke of Sutherland, Gordon Hewart, W. Joynson Hicks (regarding technical and legal difficulties with the Isle of Man Church Assembly Bill, 1924), Douglas Hogg etc. G to generally VG, 28
![[INDIA]: Selection of A.Ls.S., a few T.Ls.S., some signed photographs, a few signed pieces etc., by various Viceroys of India](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/e436c509-4a40-43ec-a5ed-add500ceb156/dc213d3d-fec4-42ee-b6a7-add700e88e1e/468x382.jpg)
Lot 1450
[INDIA]: Selection of A.Ls.S., a few T.Ls.S., some signed photographs, a few signed pieces etc., by various Viceroys of India and Secretaries of State for India comprising George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon (1827-1909, Viceroy and Governor-General of India 1880-84, previously Secretary of State for Inda 1866; signed postcard photograph and two A.Ls.S., one marked Confidentialand informing his correspondent that he intends to submit his name to the Queen for appointment as a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George), George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (1859-1925, Viceroy of India 1899-1905; four A.Ls.S. and a further three final pages of an A.L.S., in one sympathising with a colleague on his departure from the Government and commenting 'I have always felt that in every powerful & effective Government Labour ought to be ably represented. You have filled this part both in the Cabinet & on the wider stage of the Peace Conference - with conspicuous ability and great success…', February 1920, and in the partial letter discussing the publication of a book, in part, 'In the event of my dying while in India, I would give permission to…..Harper to publish the book as it is (an additional reason for completing it) within a period of not less than 4 months after my death, the existing agreement holding good and the proceeds being paid to the executors of my will'), Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading (1860-1935, Viceroy and Governor-General of India 1921-26), Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (1833-1908, Secretary of State for India 1880-82; two A.Ls.S.), Henry H. Fowler, 1st Viscount Wolverhampton (1830-1911, Secretary of State for India 1894-95; A.L.S. and vintage signed postcard photograph), Lord George Hamilton (1845-1927, Secretary of State for India 1895-1903; an A.L.S. and a T.L.S., the latter regarding the late Sir William White), William St. John Broderick, 1st Earl Middleton (1856-1942, Secretary of State for India 1903-05; vintage signed postcard photograph), John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn (1838-1923, Secretary of State for India 1905-10; vintage signed cabinet photograph with slight damage to one corner) and William Peel, 1st Earl Peel (1867-1937, Secretary of State for India 1922-24, 1928-29). Some age wear and a few with slight traces of former mounting etc. Generally G, 19
![[INDIA]: Selection of signed Free Front envelope panels, a few signed pieces, some A.Ls.S. etc., by various British colonial](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/e436c509-4a40-43ec-a5ed-add500ceb156/1c256a5a-635d-4703-823d-add700e89292/468x382.jpg)
Lot 1453
[INDIA]: Selection of signed Free Front envelope panels, a few signed pieces, some A.Ls.S. etc., by various British colonial administrators, a few military officers etc., all of whom were associated with India, most serving as Viceroy and Governor-General, comprising Marquess Wellesley (Governor-General 1798-1805), Marquess of Hastings (Governor-General 1813-23), Earl Amherst (Governor-General 1823-28; addressed to Lady Maxwell in Rochester), Lord William Bentinck (Governor-General 1828-35; addressed to Lady Jane Montgomerie at Eglinton Castle), Earl of Auckland (Governor-General 1836-42), Lord Ellenborough (Governor-General 1842-44), Earl of Dalhousie (Governor-General 1848-56), Viscount Canning (Governor-General 1856-58; addressed to Lady Stuart de Rothsay at Eglinton Castle), Lord Northbrook (Governor-General 1872-76; A.L.S. to Lord Sidney, commenting 'So there has been a game of “post” in the Cabinet. I am very glad they have not changed me, for I am very happy where I am, & I might fail [?] to do work about which I know even less than I know about ship building & great guns', 20th December 1882), Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford (1827-1905, British General who fought during the Indian Rebellion of 1857; A.L.S. regarding the disposal of shares of the Cheltenham College, 29th November 1890), Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere (1773-1865, British Field Marshal, Commander-in-Chief, India 1825-30; addressed to General Sir Henry Torrens at the Horse Guards, London), George Harris, 1st Baron Harris (1746-1829, British Lieutenant-General, Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army), James Skinner (1778-1841, Anglo-Indian Colonel with the Bengal Army), Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (1742-1811, Scottish politician, instrumental in the expansion of British influence in India as president of the Board of Control for Indian Affairs 1793-1801; A.L.S. regarding the recommendation of a regiment for his correspondent, 6th December 1791) and Cecil Beadon (1816-1880, English administrator in British India, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal 1862-66; incomplete A.L., lacking the signature, in part, 'I shall be delighted to propose Andrew Hunter but you must ask his father to send me particulars as to his present position and profession and residence….', on the blind embossed stationery of the Oriental Club, 9th December 1878). Many of the free front envelope panels are laid down to portions of pages removed from an album and with a collector's neat ink annotations mounted below. Generally G, 15
Lot 296
KRAUSS WERNER: (1884-1959) German actor, famous for his portrayal of the titular character in the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). Vintage signed sepia postcard photograph of Krauss in a head and shoulders pose. Published by Ross. Signed by Krauss in fountain pen ink with his name alone, largely to the lower border. One slight corner crease and with a crease to the lower border, close to, but not affecting, the signature. About VG
Lot 405
GOUNOD CHARLES: (1818-1893) French Composer. A very fine signed 4 x 6 cabinet photograph, signed twice, the Antwerpen Photographie Artistique shows Gounod in a formal head and shoulders pose. Signed `Ch. Gounod´ in bold black fountain pen ink to the lower white border, also signed and inscribed to the verso `to Monsieur Mariani, souvenir of your gracious kindness, Ch. Gounod´, also dated in his hand 3rd November 1880. VG
Lot 424
RANDEGGER ALBERTO: (1832-1911) Italian-born Composer, Conductor and renowned singing Teacher. Best known for promoting opera and British music in England. A fine signed 2.5 x 4.5 sepia cabinet photograph, the H. Goodman of Margate image depicting Randegger standing in a full-length pose. Signed `Alberto Randegger´ in bold black ink to the lower white border of the image. Bearing to the verso the attractive colour logo of the British photographer. VG
Lot 425
LEONCAVALLO RUGGIERO: (1857-1919) Italian Composer. An excellent signed and inscribed large 5.5 x 8 cabinet card photograph, including an autograph musical quotation by Leoncavallo. The sepia Atelier Langhans image from Prague showing Leoncavallo standing in a three-quarter length pose. Signed and inscribed to the heading `A mein liber Freund Heinrich Grunfeld, Souvenir de bonne et loyale amitié, R. Leoncavallo´, an amusing inscription in two different languages to his friend the Cellist Grunfeld. Dated to the left border at Marienbad, the 17th July 1894. Signed in Prague where the photograph was taken. To the lower right border Leoncavallo has penned two bars of music, annotating alongside `Cello´, to his cellist musician friend. Bearing to the verso the photographer´s printed logo. VG Heinrich Grunfeld (1855-1931) Bohemian-Austrian Cellist. He wrote his brother´s Alfred Grunfeld biography.
Lot 483
DE RESZKE JEAN: (1850-1925) Polish Tenor. Vintage signed and inscribed 4 x 6 cabinet card photograph of De Reszke, the Nadar Photographer image depicting the tenor in a formal head and shoulders pose. Neatly signed in dark fountain pen ink to a clear area at the head of the image, also dated 1897 in his hand. Affixed to the verso the cast page of a programme opera performance of Gounod´s opera Faust, featuring Jean de Reszke as Faust, and his brother Edouard de Reszke as Mephistophele. VG
![[TITANIC]: STEAD WILLIAM T. (1849-1912) British newspaper editor who, as a pioneer of investigative journalism, became a cont](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/e436c509-4a40-43ec-a5ed-add500ceb156/ef9f3e4f-03c7-466a-9cff-add700dff8c8/468x382.jpg)
Lot 624
[TITANIC]: STEAD WILLIAM T. (1849-1912) British newspaper editor who, as a pioneer of investigative journalism, became a controversial figure of the Victorian era. Stead died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. An extraordinary A.L.S., W T Stead, two pages, 4to, Kingsway, London, 2nd January 1912, to Mr. Cochrane (sic; Charles B. Cochran), on the attractive printed stationery of The Review of Reviews. Stead announces 'I have just witnessed “The Miracle”' and continues, in part, 'But the miracle that impressed me most was the fact that in this Protestant land you are not mobbed by zealous Orangemen. Just think of what you are doing twice a day this blessed Christmas tide! Remember the threatened riot which alarmed the Cabinet when it was proposed to take a solemn procession through the streets on the consecration of the new Catholic Cathedral. The protestant drum was beaten & the police were seriously asking whether the Guards would have to be called out to prevent a dangerous & possibly a bloody affray. Yet that was only one short procession whereas you….are exhibiting twice everyday in the week a gorgeous spectacle with every adventitious aid of music & costume to make the Roman rite attractive to the multitude. The other day I secured a bulky pamphlet labelled “Rome & Germany” by “Watchman” who proclaimed about the existence of an informal conspiracy got up by Rome & Germany for the destruction of the British Empire. “Watchman's” evidence was of the slightest. But if he were to bring out a new edition of his pamphlet he would find in “The Miracle” a startling confirmation of his worst surmises. “The Miracle” was “made in Germany” and it is a…..powerful presentation of the most anti-Protestant doctrines. Think Sir of the effect of this twice a day representation of Catholic ritual to eight thousand subjects of our Protestant King…..Has the great Protestant heart that throbs responsive to the Orange drum ceased to beat? Have you had no protests…(against)….this daring challenge thrown down to Protestant prejudice? I fear that if you presented “The Miracle” at Belfast few of your performers would escape with broken heads. How much Sir do you secure from the secret service money of the Vatican or from the coffers of the Jesuits for this imposing & magnificent propaganda in favour of the Roman Catholic Church? I wrote this to you as a friend & not as one sharing the prejudices of my Orange fellow citizens. It is a mere matter of intellectual curiosity. I wonder whether they are going to take it lying down'. A letter of remarkable content, written just three months before Stead perished in the Titanic. Some extensive, although light, water staining, causing minor wrinkling, and with a few minor tears to the edges. Despite the faults, the text of the letter remains completely legible. About G Charles B. Cochran (1872-1951) English theatrical manager and impresario who produced some of the most successful musical revues, musicals and plays in the 1920s and 1930s, becoming associated with the works of Noel Coward. In 1911 Cochran had a success with the play The Miracle. The Miracle is a wordless play written by Karl Vollmoller and tells the story of a wayward nun who deserts her convent with a knight, influenced by the music of an evil minstrel. A statue of the Virgin Mary comes to life and takes the physical place of the nun, who makes her way through the world and its many vicissitudes. She is eventually accused of witchcraft, but escapes. Finally the nun returns to the convent with her dying infant, and is forgiven as the statue of the Madonna resumes its place. Cochran worked closely with Max Reinhardt in the creation of the stage production and the play first appeared as a vast spectacle-pantomime at the London Olympia on 21st December 1911. Reinhardt directed the principal actors, cast and musical performers (who numbered around 1,700) and the music was specially composed by Engelbert Humperdinck.
Lot 646
BONHEUR ROSA: (1822-1899) French Painter and Sculptor, well-known for her paintings of animals. Bonheur was widely considered to be the most famous female painter during the nineteenth century. Rare signed 2.5 x 4 cabinet card photograph `R. Bonheur´, the Disderi image from Paris showing Bonheur standing in a full length pose. Bearing to the verso the red printed logo of Disderi photographer, 8th Boulevard des Nations, Paris. Very small traces of former affixing to the verso, otherwise G to VG
Lot 1060
MONTGOMERY B. L.: (1887-1976) British Field Marshal of World War II. A.L.S., Monty, two pages, 8vo, Isington Mill, Alton, Hampshire, 20th November 1950, to Lady Anderson ('My dear Ava'). Montgomery thanks his correspondent for her note on the eve of her departure and comments 'The picture of Smuts by your brother is very fine. His death was a tragedy and we will feel his absence keenly for many years. He had very great wisdom', further expressing his hope that she will enjoy her visit to Australia, although warning 'But the normal rule is that they over work their visitors and send them away exhausted. That was certainly so in my own case in 1947'. Accompanied by the original envelope hand addressed by Montgomery to Lady Anderson in Sydney, New South Wales. A letter of interesting content and good association. VG Ava Anderson, Viscountess Waverley (1895-1974) English political and social hostess at the centre of government during World War II. Second wife of John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley (1882-1958) British civil servant and politician who served in the Cabinet during World War II. Jan C. Smuts (1870-1950) South African Prime Minister 1919-24, 1939-48. Smuts served in the field during the Boer War and later as a British Field Marshal during World War II. Smuts had died, aged 80, from a heart attack on 11th September 1950.
Lot 1273
LOUIS XVI: (1754-1793) King of France and Navarre 1774-1791, King of the French 1791-92. The only King of France to have been executed. An 8vo hardback edition of the Defense de Louis, Prononcee a la Barre de la Convention Nationale, Le Mercredi 26 Decembre 1792…..Par le Citoyen Deseze…. ('The Defence of Louis XVI as Delivered at the Bar of the National Convention, Wednesday, 26th December 1792…..by Citizen Deseze….'), L'Imprimerie Nationale, by order of the Convention, Paris, 1792. With several pages of engravings and autograph letters etc. tipped into the binding following the front free endpapers including King Louis XVI fragment of an autograph note, unsigned, one page, 12mo, n.p., n.d., in French, being an order for a number of gold locks to be made for several chests, in part, '2 in the private cabinet, 1 between the black cabinet and the corridor to the dining room, 1 between the black cabinet and the jewellery cabinet, 1 between the jewellery cabinet and the private cabinet, 1 between the jewellery cabinet and the library…..there are only three copies, there still must be some in Paris'; Raymond Deseze (1750-1828) French Advocate who defended King Louis XVI when brought before the Convention for trial. A.L.S., Deseze, three pages, 8vo, Brevannes, n.d. ('Le lundi matin'), thanking his correspondent for the information supplied to him and remarking that he 'was right in thinking that I did not read a consultation….I don't even remember very well the evidence I could have had under my eyes and the way I made use of it', further referring to a lawyer in Brussels and a report which should be sent by courier; Francois Denis Tronchet (1726-1806) French Jurist who, alongside Deseze and Malesherbes, defended King Louis XVI when brought before the Convention for trial. A.L., unsigned, in the third person (his name Le Senateur TRONCHET printed at the beginning of the text), one page, small 8vo, Paris, 19Vendimiaire year 12 of the Republic, to Monsieur Du Poirier, seeking a meeting with his correspondent regarding an urgent matter and suggesting 6pm and, if possible, dinner with his friend. With integral address leaf in Tronchet's hand (small area of paper loss to one corner caused by the original breaking of the seal); Guillaume-Chretien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes (1721-1794) French Statesman and Minister who, alongside Deseze and Tronchet, defended King Louis XVI when brought before the Convention for trial. A.L., unsigned, one page, 8vo, (place indecipherable), 29th October 1775, to a gentleman, in French, forwarding a response he has received and referring to various individuals and a court case. Attractively bound in half-morocco, with raised bands to spine and small gilt stamped title, mottled boards and marbled pastedowns and endpapers. A rare, unusual grouping and presentation related to one of the most important events in French history. Some light age wear, minor foxing in places and a few light stains to some pages, G
Lot 1277
NAPOLEON III: (1808-1873) Emperor of the French 1852-70, the nephew and heir of Napoleon I. First President of France 1848-52, therefore holding the distinction of being the first titular president and the last monarch of France. A.L.S., Napoleon, one page, 8vo, Wilhelmshöhe, 18th September 1870, to an unidentified lady, in French. Napoleon III thanks his correspondent for her letter and states ´I am very touched Madame by the feelings and words you express to me at this time of my misfortune…´ A touching message from Germany where Napoleon was just starting this captivity period.Accompanied by a 4 x 2.5 sepia cabinet photograph, by E. Flamant, Paris, the image showing the "Death of Emperor Napoléon III" photomontage. With blank integral leaf. Extremely small foxing stains, otherwise VG On 3rd September 1870, and as a result of the defeat of the French army at the battle of Sedan, Napoleon III and Bismarck agreed the terms of French surrender. From 5 September 1870 until 19 March 1871, an ill Napoleon III and his close entourage were held in captivity in a castle at Wilhelmshöhe near Kassel, where the present letter was written.
Lot 128
A SILVER-GILT AND PLIQUE-À-JOUR ENAMEL IMPERIAL PRESENTATION TANKARDPavel Ovchinnikov with Imperial Warrant, Moscow, circa 1889the body enriched with scrolling floral cloisonné enamel motifs within twisted wirework panels, flaring to octagonal arched segments delineated by beadwork and spiral columns, raised upon conforming base with interlacing strapwork, the underside inscribed 'Souvenir DE S.A.I. Le Grand Duc Georges Alexandrovitch de Russie to Col. W.F.Cody, Paris 1889', the base revealing plique-à-jour Imperial Eagle within foliate ground, bracket handle with scaling joined to trefoil thumbpiece at hinge, the lid with smaller plique-à-jour panel within border of butterflies and birds within floral ground, 88 standard height: 16cm (6in).Footnotes:ProvenancePresented by Grand Duke Georgii Aleksandrovich (1871-99) to William Cody ['Buffalo Bill'] (1846-1917), according to inscription on base.Architectural in form and featuring brightly coloured filigree enamel panels, granulation and interlacing strapwork, the current tankard is an adaptation of the Turkish seventeenth century prototype featured in the Drevnosti Gosudarstva Rossiiskogo (Antiquities of the Russian State), compiled by Fedor Solntsev in 1850s and instantly adopted by Russian silversmiths as their favourite source of the artistic inspiration. The firm of Pavel Ovchinnikov made several identical tankards, a few of which were acquired by the Imperial Cabinet and members of the Romanov family to be used as diplomatic gifts and presentation pieces. In 1897, during the official visit of the French President Félix Faure to Saint Petersburg, one of the officers of the French squadron received a very similar tankard as an official gift. (Fig 1). In 1889 an identical tankard was presented to an anonymous official by G. Netchaev-Maltsov (Sotheby's, Geneva, 13-15 November 1995, lot 446).The Hillwood Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC has in its collection another example identical to the current tankard but without an inscription identifying the occasion for which the gift may have been presented. In addition to their traditional shape and décor, each tankard was decorated with plique-à-jour panels depicting the Russian Imperial Eagles amidst floral fields. The presence of the Imperial symbols further underscored the importance of such gifts as an official expression of friendship and appreciation. Among this group of presentation tankards, the current example stands out as the most historically significant. According to the inscription, Grand Duke Georgii Aleksandrovich presented it to William Cody, one of the most famous and popular Americans of the late 19th century.William Cody (1846-1917), who earned his nickname 'Buffalo Bill' by hunting 4,280 buffalo in eighteen months, was a soldier during the Civil War, a scout, a Pony Express rider, an invaluable tracker and experienced gunman, who at the end of his life had come to symbolize the American frontier and the nation's spirit of adventure. Cody's frontier experience and positive public image was particularly helpful during official visits of foreign dignitaries to the Western territories. During the highly publicised visit of Grand Duke Aleksei Aleksandrovich to the USA in 1871-1872, Cody was instrumental in organising a hunting adventure on a scale that surpassed anything that the Russian Grand Duke, an experienced hunter and sportsman himself, had experienced before. When the Grand Duke Aleksei, the third son of Tsar Alexander II, arrived at the hunting camp in Nevada, 'Buffalo Bill' was waiting mounted on a splendid horse. Over six feet tall, Cody cut an impressive figure in his spangled buckskin suit, a coat trimmed with fur, and a black slouch hat. Cody's leadership and assistance during the hunt was later kindly acknowledged by the Grand Duke who presented Buffalo Bill with gifts that are now part of the collection at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, USA. It was probably with the encouragement and at the recommendation of his royal uncle that twenty years later, while vacationing in Paris, Grand Duke Georgii met William Cody.In the summer of 1889, William Cody was on his second tour of Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, a highly successful circus-like attraction that included horseback parades, re-enactments of famous Civil War battles, Indian attacks on wagon trains, and stage coach races. The show was enormously popular and propelled Cody to worldwide fame. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, Russian Grand Duke Michael, and the King of Denmark were among the guests who attended the show during the tour of England two year earlier. In 1889 the Wild West show became the main attraction of the Paris Exposition Universelle and a 'must see' venue for many foreign visitors flocking to the French capitol that summer. Grand Duke Georgii Aleksandrovich (1871-99), the son of Emperor Alexander III and the brother of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, arrived in Paris on August 26 for a few days of sightseeing. Very bright and capable, he was seen by many of his contemporaries as 'intellectual and magnanimous, with an engaging personality', and 'the one who could have become a strong and popular tsar' (1). Sadly, in the early 1890s Grand Duke Georgii was diagnosed with tuberculosis and spent most of his time travelling in pursuit of the proper medical treatments, eventually settling in the small town of Abas-Tuman in the Caucasus. Two days after his arrival in Paris the Grand Duke noted in his dairy: 'We had visited the Exposition today. Afterwards we went to see Buffalo Bill [show]. It was most interesting' (2). The scale of the performance and larger than life personality of its founder must have left an unforgettable impression on the eighteen year old Grand Duke, who arranged to have this very special gift delivered to William Cody on his behalf.1. Suzanne Massie, 'A Royal Visit: The Grand Duke Alexis in the United States,' in The Tsar and the President, Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln Liberator and Emancipator, the American–Russian Cultural Cooperation Foundation, 2008, p. 62.2. The Diaries of Grand Duke Georgii Aleksandrovich, State Archive of the Russian Federation, fund 675, unit 1, file 6, 16/28 of August 1889.We would like to thank Larisa Kriachkova, Chief Curator of Archival Depository of the State Archive of the Russian Federation and the staff of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center for their research assistance.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 457
A Barr, Flight and Barr large can and saucer, circa 1810The can with a kidney-shaped handle, painted with a group of colourful shells and seaweed set against a shaded background, the green grounds within wide gilded classical borders, saucer 15cm diam, impressed crown and BFB marks, printed marks referring to Coventry street address (2)Footnotes:This larger size of can may have been intended for chocolate but more likely was made simply as a cabinet piece.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 151
The Dissolution: a stipple engraved goblet by Simon Whistler, dated 1977The shape designed by Laurence Whistler, the generous bucket bowl engraved with a view of Llanthony Priory in Wales, the intact south-west tower of the former Augustinian monastery visible to the right, the arcade of ruined arches engraved in outline only to reveal the trees and steep-sided valley beyond, the Black Mountains rising abruptly in the distance with billowing clouds beyond, titled, dated and monogrammed 'SW' to the foot, 25.5cm high, sold together with the original glazed mahogany electrified display cabinet made by E Norwood (2)Footnotes:ProvenanceDr Michael Scorer CollectionExhibitedFifty Years on Glass, Kenwood House, London, and The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1985, no.55LiteratureSimon Whistler, On a Glass Lightly (2004), p.51 (illustrated in reverse)The artist describes the piece thus... 'The title refers to the destruction of the religious foundation in the sixteenth century and to the transparency of the architecture. The arcade of arches on the right [sic] hand side has been dissolved in order to reveal the landscape beyond'. Simon Whistler considered Llanthony Priory to be the epitome of what a ruin should look like and how it relates to its setting.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 442
A Swansea cabinet cup and stand and a Swansea teacup and saucer, circa 1815-17Both locally decorated, the cabinet cup and stand of French form, unusually painted with birds set amongst sprays of garden flowers, stand 15.5cm diam, the teacup and saucer painted with blue monochrome flowers reserved on a wide gilded band, saucer 14.7cm diam (4)Footnotes:ProvenanceSidney Heath CollectionSir Leslie Joseph Collection (cabinet cup and stand only)The cabinet cup is illustrated by A E (Jimmy) Jones and Sir Leslie Joseph, Swansea Porcelain Shapes and Decoration (1988), p.138.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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