A Regency gilt-bronze surtout de table circa 1805, attributed to Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, possibly supplied by Alexis De Caix

divided in five mirrored sections with anthemion friezed pierced gallery interposed by similar anthemion support on paw feet below cast double coronet and interspaced by plaques with the coat of arms for the Marquesses of Ormonde

Walter Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde, 18th Earl of Ormonde;

The Marquesses of Ormonde, Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny Co.;

Thence by descent.

Overall reasonable condition - Some wear to gilding consistent with age and use, one small repaired crack to corner of one mirror plate, hardly noticeable, one plaque missing, one central section has been re-enforced underneath, mirror plates apparently original. One end with an area of about 10cm of tarnishing. Small joint crack to frieze.
"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."

This surtout can be firmly attributed to the firm of Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, Royal goldsmiths. Although they were seen as the foremost gold- and silversmiths of the Regency period, they produced outstanding pieces in bronze, such as the famous group of Egyptian-style candelabra, two pairs made for the 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox and one pair made for Richard, Marquess of Wellesley. These candelabra and the present lot share similarly designed draped armorial plaques.

Rundell, Bridge & Rundell would outsource their bronze work and were in business with Alexis De Caix, a bronze founder and ormolu manufacturer. The duration of the partnership is unknown but it is unlikely to have begun much before 1806. De Caix came to London as a refugee from the French Revolution and was based in 15 Rupert Street having worked for Thomas Hope, who thought De Caix as the only person in London he could trust for his bronze work. He also worked for Henry Holland in Woburn Abbey, for the Prince of Wales and is also known to have supplied bronze work to the silversmith Garrard’s. 

The arms are those of Walter Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde KP (1770-1820) and 18th Earl of Ormonde, and his wife Anna Maria Catherine Clarke (d.1817). Ormonde was an important patron of Rundell, Bridge & Rundell and commissioned a fine silver dinner  service in 1808, part of which was allocated in 1982 to the Royal Pavilion in Brighton by the English government. The present lot was designed in the French Empire taste which was in vogue among the fashionable Regency circles, led by the Prince Regent, of which Ormonde was part.

Walter Butler, born in 1770 succeeded his father in 1796 as the 18th Earl of Ormonde, in the Irish peerage and Baron Butler of Llanthony in Great Britain, having his seat in Kilkenny Castle, which he expensively refurbished between 1801-3 and for where this surtout was probably made. He was the Chief Butler for Ireland, Knight of Saint Patrick and an MP for Kilkenny County in the Irish House of Commons and lived an extravagant lifestyle which resulted in him selling his hereditary right to the grant of the prisage of the wines of Ireland. He married Anna Clarke, daughter of Joseph Hart Pryce Clarke and sole heir of Godfrey Clarke, of Sutton Hall, Derbyshire. There were no children from this marriage, with his brother James inheriting the Earldom.

For all sales which take place on or after 1 February 2015, please note that the rate of buyer’s premium for each lot (charged as a percentage of the hammer price achieved for that lot) has been revised and shall be calculated at the thresholds set out below:

 

Buyer’s premium is 25% of the hammer price up to and including £100,000;

Buyer’s premium is 20% of the hammer price on any amount in excess of £100, 000 up to and including £1,800,000;

Buyer’s premium is 12% of the hammer price on any amount in excess of £1,800,000.  

 

As stated above, the revised thresholds are effective as of 1 February 2015.