30th Oct, 2020 11:00

Silver & Objects of Vertu

 
Lot 473
 

Welsh Interest - A set of four George I Britannia standard silver candlesticks, London 1725 by Arthur Dicken (reg. 18th June 1720)

Welsh Interest - A set of four George I Britannia standard silver candlesticks, London 1725 by Arthur Dicken (reg. 18th June 1720)

Each of circular form with recessed wells leading to a central column with knop and panelled octagonal inverted baluster section leading to a plain capital with acanthus underside. The base with a cast and chased border of scallop shells and strapwork with acanthus scrolls. The column knop with chased and guilloche border, the baluster section with four portrait masks in profile of imperial figures all above bell flower drops against textured grounds. The well with impaled coat of arms within a baroque style cartouche of an arched pediment with flanking scrolls, reserved with rustication. Each engraved with inventory number and scratch weights; No 1 and 15=13, No 3 and 15=5, No 4 and 15=13, No 5 and 15 =14, respectively. Each fully marked.

Height – 16 cm / 6.3 inches

Weight – 1495 grams / 48.07 ozt

The arms are those of Mansell impaling Hervey

for Bussy Mansel, 4th Baron Mansel of Margam, Glamorgan (c.1697 - 1750) who married his first wife Lady Betty Hervey (1697-1727) on 17th May 1724.

Bussy Mansel was the son of Sir Thomas Mansell, 1st Baron Mansell of Margam (c.1668 – 1723) and Martha Millington (d. 1723) who were married on the 18th May 1686, and was held the office of a Commissioner of Treasury from 1710 to 1711, appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) between 1711 and 1714 and Controller of the Household to Queen Anne from 1711 to 1712. He inherited the title was 8th Baronet Mansel (est. 1611) upon the death of his brother Sir Christopher Mansell, 3rd Baron Mansell (c.1696 - 1744). He held the office of Member of Parliament for Cardiff between 1723 and 1734 and for Glamorgan between 1737 and 1744. He married, secondly Lady Barbara Villiers (d.1761) daughter of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of the Island of Jersey (c.1682-1721) and Judith Herne (d.1735), on the 13th March 1728/29. He died on 29th November 1750, without male issue and his titles became extinct.

Lady Betty Hervey was the daughter of John, 1st Earl of Bristol (1655-1750) and Elizabeth Felton (1676-1741) daughter of Sir Thomas Felton, 4th Bt (1649-1708) and Lady Elizabeth Howard (1659-1681), the daughter of James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk (1619-1688). Her maternal great-grandfather Sir Humphrey May held the office of Vice-Chamberlain of the Household to King Charles I and the office of Master of the Rolls in 1629.

It seems quite possible that this set of four candlesticks, likely once a set of eight, were a gift to Busy Mansel and Betty Hervey from the 1st Earl of Bristol, as both of Bussy’s parents were dead at this point and he had not yet inherited the family estates.

Arthur Dicken was apprenticed to William Fawdrey in the 10th Feb 1702, he was free 10th Nov 1719 and signed the petition against foreigners having not served seven years apprenticeship in Feb 1716. He registered his mark on the 18th June 1720 at The Angel, the Strand.

Items bearing his mark are distinctly scarce and surviving pieces are often more plain in nature such as the footed salver of 1722 made for Thomas Bowers (1660–1724) Bishop of Chichester, sold Bonham’s New Bond Street, 22 Nov 2006, lot 199 (£3,120 incl. premium). However, a cup of cover of 1721, is of comparable decorative surface to the present lots with “elaborate strapwork incorporating female masks headed by shells on matted ground”, sold Sotheby’s New York, 11 April 2000, lot 207 ($6,600 incl. premium)

Provenance

Mrs Cecil Hannam, Sotheby's, London, 4 July 1968, lot 150

Anonymous sale, Christie's, New York, 14 June 1982, lot 122

Sold for £18,750

Includes Buyer's Premium


 

Do you have an item similar to the item above? If so please click the link below to submit a free online valuation request through our website.

 

Images*

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.