A PAIR OF VICTORIAN SILVER MEAT DISHES AND COVERS FROM THE ASHBURNHAM DINNER SERVICE, PAUL STORR FOR STORR & MORTIMER, LONDON, 1837 |

domes and dishes chased with foliage and honeycomb trellis, each applied with dual coats-of-arms, dishes incuse stamped STORR & MORTIMER 98 & 383, one dish with engraved with number and scratchweight No 2. 73"14, the covers No 12. 63"15 and No 13. 62"10 

probably Christies, London, 24 March 1914, lot 118
one meat dome and cover (N^o12), Sotheby's, Belgravia, 21 February 1974, lot 64

Good clear marks. No obvious damage or repairs. 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 Ashburnham, for Betram, 4th Earl of Ashburnham (1797-1878), who married on 8 January 1840, Katherine Charlotte, daughter of George Baillie, of Jerviswood, Co. Lanark, and sister of George, 10th Earl of Haddington. In his youth Ashburnham was a great traveller and an avid collector of fine art, early and rare books and manuscripts. Throughout his lifetime he amassed an extensive library of English and foreign printed works, which was in part purchased by the British Government in 1883. On 24 March 1914, a portion of the service was dispersed by Christie's, and was catalogued as "chased with the Ashburnham arms, honeycomb-pattern and small blossoms on a matted ground". The offered lots included: four pairs of oval meat dishes and covers, of varying lengths (lots 118-121); a meat dish (122); a venison dish (123); two pairs of circular salvers (124, 125); a pair of soup tureens and covers (126); and four circular entrée dishes and covers (127). It is most likely the present pair represent lot 118 in this sale with the weight in the 1914 catalogue stated as 273oz 10dwt., only 6oz. more than the weight of the present pair.

Although the exact constitution of the Ashburnham Service is not presently known, the large number of pieces offered in the last century, as well as the extravagance of its decoration, suggest that it was one of the last great services completed by Storr before his 1839 retirement. The Ashburnham household and family records are preserved at the East Sussex Records Office and may offer a more complete idea of the size of the Service and the variety of vessels it included.