A Taste of Rococo: Porcelain from an American Private Collection
A Taste of Rococo: Porcelain from an American Private Collection
A Rare Worcester Plate from 'The Duke of Gloucester Service', Circa 1775
Lot Closed
October 18, 02:38 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A Rare Worcester Plate from 'The Duke of Gloucester Service', Circa 1775
vibrantly painted with a central cluster of three peaches, an apple, on a bed of leaves, among plums, grapes and berries, the border with five panels of winged insects framed by interlocking blue and gilt scrollwork, alternating with single sprigs of fruit, green-edge shaped rim, the underside with three sprigs, gold crescent mark.
Diameter 9 in.
22.8 cm
Prince William Henry (1743-1806), Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1760-1805);
his nephew, Prince Adolphus (1774-1850), Duke of Cambridge (1801-1850);
Thence by descent to his son Prince George (1819-1904), Duke of Cambridge (1850-1904);
Probably, Christie's London, H.R.H. The Duke of Cambridge, K.G., K.T., K.P. etc., deceased, June 6-7, 1904, lots 32-56
his nephew, Prince Adolphus (1774-1850), Duke of Cambridge (1801-1850);
Thence by descent to his son Prince George (1819-1904), Duke of Cambridge (1850-1904);
Probably, Christie's London, H.R.H. The Duke of Cambridge, K.G., K.T., K.P. etc., deceased, June 6-7, 1904, lots 32-56
This exceptional plate was from a service commissioned by the younger brother of King George III. Prince William Henry (1743-1806) Duke of Gloucester (1764-1806) was the fifth child of Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (1719-1772) and Frederick (1707-1751), Prince of Wales, son of George II. When elder his brother became King George III on 25 October 1760, he was created Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, and Earl of Connaught on 19 November 1764.
On September 6th, 1766, he married the recently widowed Countess Waldergrave, Maria Walpole (1736-1807), an illegitimate daughter of Edward Walpole. The marriage was conducted in secret as the British Royal Family would not have approved of a marriage between a prince and a widow of non-royal rank and illegitimate birth. The marriage partially prompted the passing of the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. For a time, the couple lived at St. Leonard's Hill, near Windsor.
Upon his death, the Duke's possessions passed by descent to the 2nd Duke of Gloucester, but the 2nd Duke died without issue and so on his death in 1834 most of his personal effects passed to his uncle, Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. Upon the death of Adolphus’s son, Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, a large part of this set was sold at Christie's on 8 June 1904.
The service was the first Royal commission of the Worcester porcelain factory, and as such was granted a unique mark of a gilt crescent moon. The decoration is highly influenced by a Chelsea service of about 10 years earlier, also thought to have been commissioned by the Duke of Gloucester, though now referred to by his nephew's title as the 'Duke of Cambridge Service'.
Most recently, a dinner plate, a soup plate, and a tureen from the Worcester service from the Collection of Richard Mellon Scaife, sold, Christie's New York, July 1, 2015, lots 67-68A.
On September 6th, 1766, he married the recently widowed Countess Waldergrave, Maria Walpole (1736-1807), an illegitimate daughter of Edward Walpole. The marriage was conducted in secret as the British Royal Family would not have approved of a marriage between a prince and a widow of non-royal rank and illegitimate birth. The marriage partially prompted the passing of the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. For a time, the couple lived at St. Leonard's Hill, near Windsor.
Upon his death, the Duke's possessions passed by descent to the 2nd Duke of Gloucester, but the 2nd Duke died without issue and so on his death in 1834 most of his personal effects passed to his uncle, Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. Upon the death of Adolphus’s son, Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, a large part of this set was sold at Christie's on 8 June 1904.
The service was the first Royal commission of the Worcester porcelain factory, and as such was granted a unique mark of a gilt crescent moon. The decoration is highly influenced by a Chelsea service of about 10 years earlier, also thought to have been commissioned by the Duke of Gloucester, though now referred to by his nephew's title as the 'Duke of Cambridge Service'.
Most recently, a dinner plate, a soup plate, and a tureen from the Worcester service from the Collection of Richard Mellon Scaife, sold, Christie's New York, July 1, 2015, lots 67-68A.