EMMA, LADY HAMILTON. A GEORGE III SILVER PRESENTATION TWO-HANDLED CUP AND COVER, EMES & BARNARD, LONDON, 1810

engraved on one side with a presentation inscription and on the other with a coat-of-arms and crest, detachable cover similarly engraved with a crest, gilt interior

Overall good condition, highlights a little worn; hallmarks good For further queries please contact the Silver Department directly on +44(0)207 293 5100
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The inscription reads 'From Emma Lady Hamilton to Thomas Field SavoryEsqr. As a small Token of Gratitude.For his unremitted attentions to her Dear lamented Mother and to Herself & Family 1810.'

The arms are those of the Savery [sic] family of Devon but adopted by Thomas Field Savory, the recipient of this cup and cover.

Thomas Savory, who was generally known as Thomas Field Savory, is said to have been born about 1776 at Cowley, Gloucestershire, the son of a miller. He was apprenticed at the age of 14 to Thomas Cother, the leading chemist at Cheltenham. In 1806, together with Thomas Moore, he became a partner with Thomas Paytherus, a successful chemist at Cheltenham and in New Bond Street and Regent Street, London, to form the firm of Paytherus, Savory & Moore. Paytherus retired in 1811 whereupon the style of the firm became Savory & Moore. The flourishing condition of this business enabled Savory to live in some style and to entertain lavishly at his house, 22 Sussex Place, Regent's Park. Among his regular guests was HRH the Duke of Sussex (1773-1843), Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, of whose household Thomas Savory was appointed a Gentlemen. Savory, like the Duke, was an enthusiastic Freemason being a member of the Antiquity, Prince of Wales's and Jerusalem Lodges as well as the Prince of Wales's Chapter and the Masonic Templars Chapter of Observance. He died at his country residence at West Moulesey (Molesey) on 24 June 1847 and was buried a few days later at All Souls' Cemetery, Kensal Green. According to his obituary in The Freemasons' Quarterly Review (London, 1847, p. 334), Savory 'was somewhat proud in his bearing, yet gentlemanly at all times.'

For a Charles II parcel-gilt tankard, attributed to Jacob Bodendick, circa 1670, from Thomas Field Savory's collection, which he gave to the Duke of Sussex and subsequently acquired it again from the latter's sale at Christie's on 22 June 1843 (lot 589), see Christie's, London, 9 November 1994, lot 210.

Emma, Lady Hamilton (1765-1815), the daughter of a blacksmith, whose origins are obscure, came to the attention of Charles Francis Greville (1749-1809), second son of the 1^st Earl of Warwick. Not only did she become his mistress but he introduced her to the artist George Romney whose many portraits of her at that time record her grace and beauty. Greville, financially encumbered and in need of a wealthy wife, recommended Emma to his uncle, Sir William Hamilton (1731-1803), British Envoy to Naples. The latter was much taken with her, so much so that she eventually became his wife when they married in London in 1791. Returning to Naples, the Hamiltons subsequently entertained Admiral Lord Nelson with whom Lady Hamilton soon fell in love. Far from objecting, Sir William allowed Nelson and Emma to be together and they lived for some time in a notorious ménage à trois. By 1810, by which time both Hamilton and Nelson were dead, Lady Hamilton resided in New Bond Street, a few doors away from Savory & Moore.