William Burges

conceived around a carved Chinese Jade bowl of earlier date, decorated with coloured glass and turquoise, the rim with a Latin inscription in Lombardic script picked out in coloured enamels and dated Edinburgh 1870, with the inscription WIL BURGES ME F[IERI] F [ECIT] EX HONORARS P[ROP]TER DOSSALE EDINBURG[E]NSE COLLATIS MDCCCLXX

Philip Andrews
Private collection
Sale : Dreweatts, Newbury, Fine Jewellery and Silver, 12 September 2012, lot 34
Acquired directly from the above

National Museum of Wales, Thirty-second annual report 1938-39, Cardiff, 1939, p. 36 for the mention of a loan from Philip Andrews 

Good overall condition. Light oxidizing to the mount, consistent with age and normal use. A few glass and emerald stones applications missing. Minor cracks of the jade. Some jade carving have been reglued to the bowl. When sold at Dreweatts in 2012 the provenance was the property of a lady. A National Museum of Wales typed label accompanied the lot, the English of which, reads 'BOWL of Indian jade, bought, decorated and inscribed by William Burges (1827-81) who restored Cardiff Castle about 1865, and was the architect for 20, Park Place, Cardiff. The exquisite Lombardic script is characteristic of his craftsmanship. LENT: Philip Andrews. 39.287'. Carving probably done by Burges as part of his decorative scheme.
"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 bowl was first on loan to the Department of Archaeology at the National Museum of Wales, deposited by F Emile Andrews as noted in the Annual Report for 1931-32: ‘bowl of Indian jade decorated and inscribed by William Burgess [sic] (1827-81), sometime architect to the third Marquess of Bute (loan).’ The bowl was then lent to the Museum by Philip Andrews from 1939-1953. From this, we can therefore infer that Philip Andrews inherited it from F E Andrews, but can’t shed light on where the latter got it from and when.In 1939, the bowl was deposited into the department of Folk Culture and Industries.  It was probably held at National Museum Cardiff and then possibly transferred to St Fagans with the rest of the ‘Folk’ collections when it opened in 1948 – which is where the record for the object is held. The loan was returned to its owner in September 1953.

Architect, designer and a leading figure in the Gothic Revival movement, William Burges was also an antiquarian and a collector: he not only collected decorative pieces but successfully incorporated them into his work. He combined semi-precious stones, classical gems, bronze, jade and glass or antique coins, creating pieces of widely disparate styles and inspirations, including Medieval, Byzantine or Chinese. In William Burges and the High Victorian Dream (London, 1981), J. Mordaunt Crook evokes Burges' “genius as a designer, expressed to perfection in his jewellery and metalwork (…) Here is eclecticism in fantastic vein (…) In the history of nineteenth-century metalwork, Burges is the link between the early and late Victorian periods; between the nascent medievalism of Pugin and the febrile experiment of art nouveau. The result is not easily forgotten”.