拍品 108
108
A RARE COMMONWEALTH PLAIN CYLINDRICAL CASTER, with rope twist borders and pierced domed cover with bayonet fittings and pierced finial, engraved with a coat-of-arms, Latin inscription dated 1658 and the initials CLW, the cover finely engraved with a six petal rose, unmarked, circa 1658

细节
A RARE COMMONWEALTH PLAIN CYLINDRICAL CASTER, with rope twist borders and pierced domed cover with bayonet fittings and pierced finial, engraved with a coat-of-arms, Latin inscription dated 1658 and the initials CLW, the cover finely engraved with a six petal rose, unmarked, circa 1658
4 1/8in. (10.5cm.) high
(4ozs.)
来源
Anonymous sale, Christie's, 12 July 1983, lot 222

拍品专文

The arms are those of Oliver Cromwell as Protector and the inscription is a contraction of that found on his first seal: 'Olivarius Dei Gra. Reip. Angliae Scotiae et Hiberniae & Protector.' The shape of the cartouche enclosing the arms on the caster is very similar to that on the seal. Under the protectorate of Richard, who succeeded to the title on his father's death on 3rd September 1658, the wording of the seal was slightly modified to 'Richardus Dei Gra. Republic Angliae Scotiae et Hiberniae &c Protector.' The presence of the Royal crown engraved above the arms is difficult to account for: Oliver was in fact offered the crown in March 1657, but he declined it, largely because of the opposition of the army. In his reply to the Parlimentary petition, he said that 'I do judge for myself that there is no necessity for the name of king: for the other names may do as well.' Nevertheless, at his second installation as Lord Protector on 26 June 1657 he was robed in purple and ermine and was presented with a golden sceptre. It was a coronation in all but name.