A large Victorian silver-gilt ewer, R. & S. Garrard & Co., London, 1881

early 18th century style, inverted helmet-form, the body chased with foliate straps around a central mask supporting a cartouche, engraved with a coat of arms below and Earl's coronet, the low body applied with intermittent portrait and scale-work straps, the multiple scroll handle cast with a classical mask, raised on a circular base cast with husk and matted panels above a shell embellished husked band, engraved on underside St. G, presumably for St. George Henry, 4th Earl of Lonsdale, stamped R&S GARRARD PANTON ST LONDON

St. George Henry Lowther, 4th Earl of Lonsdale by descent to
Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale

Hallmarks clear. Excellent gauge. Good condition.
"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 arms are those of Lowther for St. George Henry, 4th Earl of Lonsdale (1855-1888), who married in 1878 Lady Constance Gladys, daughter of Sidney, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea, and sister of George Robert Charles, 13th Earl of Pembrooke. St. George died in 1882 of illness, possibly exacerbated by alcoholism, and was succeeded in earldom by his younger brother, Hugh.

An enthusiast of the Turf, the 4th Earl of Lonsdale's horse, Pilgrimage, won both the One Thousand Guineas and the Two Thousand Guineas in 1878. Although St. George was seemingly a fast-living man of the track, he did not enjoy the same social activities as his wife. Rather, he was known as a "curious introverted man," who denied his wife's friends from staying at Lowther Castle, the family's ancestral home. At the time of his sudden and early death at the age of 26, the 4th Earl's wife was traveling in the South of France. It is noted in the Lord Rosebery's diary that St. George had taken ill, not at his usual London address, but rather "in the house he took to give actresses supper in." To maintain the appearance of a respectable death, his body was quietly moved, positioned as though sitting up, in a cab from 30 Bryanston Street to Carlton House Terrace.

Lowther Castle, Cumbria, was rebuilt and castellated by Robert Smirke for the 1st Earl of Lonsdale between 1806-1814, at which time the house was designated a “castle.” The family's fortune was depleted as a result of the extravagances of the 5th Earl of Lonsdale, and the castle was closed in 1937. The contents were removed and sold a decade later. After the depredations of wartime troops, the roof of Lowther Castle was removed in 1957. The Castle's shell is presently owned and maintained by the Lowther Estate Trust.

This ewer would have complimented the extensive collection of plate amassed by the 1st Earl of Lonsdale, who had been among Rundell Bridge & Rundell’s greatest patrons. Widely known for profligate expenditures, Smirke noted of the 1st Earl in the Farington Diary: “His income is supposed to be from 80 to £100,000 a year, but he has vast expenses. He has 4 establishments, one at Lowther, also at Whitehaven, Cottesmere in Rutlandshire, and in London.” The 1st Earl ordered an extensive service from Paul Storr and Digby Scott and Benjamin Smith after his inheritance of the title in 1807, which corresponds with 24 dinner plates, 10 oval meat dishes, 32 various entrée dishes, and many other serving vessels listed in the 1947 sale catalogue.

The 1947 sale catalogue lists a number of oversized gilt items, including a 1822 shield of Achilles by Philip Rundell after a John Flaxman design (diameter 35 1/2 in., 661oz), and a large vase chased with the rescue of Andromeda by Perseus (height 33 1/2 in., 739oz 5dwt). A slightly smaller ewer, with sideboard dish, similarly chased with portrait medallions and engraved with the arms of the 4th Earl, was offered as lot 106 in the sale catalogue.

Although this ewer was executed on a larger scale than early 18th century examples, the forms and decorative motifs employed are representative of the renewed interest in antique plate in the late 19th century. Garrard's supplied ancestral-like plate to those clients who were not fortunate enough to inherit it. A similar ewer of 1736 by Paul de Lamerie, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, shares similar attributes, in particular the mask embellished shaped scroll handle and the panelled husk bands to the foot. (M.16-1954)