拍品专文
This rare and important survival from the reign of Elizabeth I, conbins natures wonders with silver-gilt mounts of the highest quality. The exquistitely chased and 'tooled' cherub's masks, military trophies and fruit garlands recall vividly François I 'antique' style, associated with the decoration of Fontainbleau Palace and introduced to England by architects such as Nicholas Bellin and Nicasius Roussel.
Constructed by Queen Elizabeth I's jeweller, John Spilman (or Speilman), this cup epitomises the heights that certain London goldsmiths had achieved by the later years of the 16th century. It also demonstrates the increasing curiosity for natural wonders. To accommodate this demand certain dealers in London specialised from at least the the 16th century in such exoict materials as shells, coral, pearls, hardstones, rock crystal and of course ostrich eggs.
This cup and cover forms part of an extremely small group of mounted ostrich egg cups of English manufacture. Often refered to during the medieval period as 'Gryphon eggs', ostrich eggs were highly prized and, like other similar exotica such as mother-of-pearl and coconuts, they were often mounted in richly chased silver or silver-gilt mounts. Their delicate nature however has ensured that few have survived and indeed of the handful of surviving examples most have had the egg replaced with a silver body or new egg. Surviving English examples include:
The Goodricke Cup, 1581, now with silver body, The British Museum
The Robert Ducie Cup, 1584, with replaced egg, Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio
The Richard Fletcher Cup, 1592, with original leather case, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
The Burghley Cup, 1594, with replaced silver body and later cover, Burghley House, Lincolnshire
The Exeter College Cup, unmarked, circa 1610, possibly the gift of James Clere, Exeter College, Oxford
Comparisons can also be made with The Hutton Cup, which was sold from the estate of the late J. T. d'Arcy Hutton, Christie's, 27 November 1957, lot 138, for the then astonishing price of (8,000. Although not a mounted piece, it is also by John Spilman and has a similar profile to present cup and with an identical baluster finial. This is now in the Royal Collection.
John Spilman was one of the many foreign goldsmiths, working in London in the 16th century who evaded the regulations set down by the Goldsmiths' Company. Included in the regulations was the stipulation that only children of English parents should be taken as apprentices. In spite of this Spilman, a native of Lindau on Lake Constance, registered his first mark in 1582 and went on to become the Queen's Jeweller. He was also heavily involved in the setting up of the paper industry in London and a number of Royal grants survive in which he is refered to as 'our beloved John Spylman, Goldsmith of our Jewelles.' He continued to be patronised by the crown after the death of Elizabeth and was knighted by James I in 1605. In would seem to be pure coincidence that surname of Sir Ralph Whitfield's father-in-law was Spelman.
Sir James Caird Bt. (1864-1954) of Glenfarquhar, co. Kincardie, was a shipowner and philanthropist. He made his fortune by managing and owning shipping lines and shipyards but his interests were wide ranging.
He provided large sums of money in order that H.M.S. Victory could be restored and was instrumental in financing the Maritime Museum, to which he endowed with well over (1 million.
'Caird was stocky in stature, tough and wiry, with immense energy, a shrewd expression, a merry twinkle in his eye, and a delightful Scots voice. He was the kindliest of men, generous almost to a fault, but never making a show of his benefactions, shrouding his greatest gifts in secrecy, and never seeking any reward. He nevertheless loved to drive a hard bargain and could not bear to be 'had'; but he was always scrupulously fair and often gave more than was asked when he thought the seller might be in need, or even that a dealer was not taking sufficent profit' (Dictionary of National Biography)
His interest in fine art were wide ranging. The privately printed catalogue of his collection, published in 1957 some four years after his death, included fine English furniture from the collection Geoffrey Blackwell O.B.E., paintings by Thomas Gainsborough, early illuminated manuscripts and a magnificent set of Gobelins tapestries. Apart from the two lots of important Tudor silver offered here the collection also included a Scottish gold cup and cover, now in the National Museum of Scotland and also a remarkable Charles II gold porringer and cover, by Jacob Bodendick, London, 1675, the chased ornament on which is of the highest quality
Constructed by Queen Elizabeth I's jeweller, John Spilman (or Speilman), this cup epitomises the heights that certain London goldsmiths had achieved by the later years of the 16th century. It also demonstrates the increasing curiosity for natural wonders. To accommodate this demand certain dealers in London specialised from at least the the 16th century in such exoict materials as shells, coral, pearls, hardstones, rock crystal and of course ostrich eggs.
This cup and cover forms part of an extremely small group of mounted ostrich egg cups of English manufacture. Often refered to during the medieval period as 'Gryphon eggs', ostrich eggs were highly prized and, like other similar exotica such as mother-of-pearl and coconuts, they were often mounted in richly chased silver or silver-gilt mounts. Their delicate nature however has ensured that few have survived and indeed of the handful of surviving examples most have had the egg replaced with a silver body or new egg. Surviving English examples include:
The Goodricke Cup, 1581, now with silver body, The British Museum
The Robert Ducie Cup, 1584, with replaced egg, Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio
The Richard Fletcher Cup, 1592, with original leather case, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
The Burghley Cup, 1594, with replaced silver body and later cover, Burghley House, Lincolnshire
The Exeter College Cup, unmarked, circa 1610, possibly the gift of James Clere, Exeter College, Oxford
Comparisons can also be made with The Hutton Cup, which was sold from the estate of the late J. T. d'Arcy Hutton, Christie's, 27 November 1957, lot 138, for the then astonishing price of (8,000. Although not a mounted piece, it is also by John Spilman and has a similar profile to present cup and with an identical baluster finial. This is now in the Royal Collection.
John Spilman was one of the many foreign goldsmiths, working in London in the 16th century who evaded the regulations set down by the Goldsmiths' Company. Included in the regulations was the stipulation that only children of English parents should be taken as apprentices. In spite of this Spilman, a native of Lindau on Lake Constance, registered his first mark in 1582 and went on to become the Queen's Jeweller. He was also heavily involved in the setting up of the paper industry in London and a number of Royal grants survive in which he is refered to as 'our beloved John Spylman, Goldsmith of our Jewelles.' He continued to be patronised by the crown after the death of Elizabeth and was knighted by James I in 1605. In would seem to be pure coincidence that surname of Sir Ralph Whitfield's father-in-law was Spelman.
Sir James Caird Bt. (1864-1954) of Glenfarquhar, co. Kincardie, was a shipowner and philanthropist. He made his fortune by managing and owning shipping lines and shipyards but his interests were wide ranging.
He provided large sums of money in order that H.M.S. Victory could be restored and was instrumental in financing the Maritime Museum, to which he endowed with well over (1 million.
'Caird was stocky in stature, tough and wiry, with immense energy, a shrewd expression, a merry twinkle in his eye, and a delightful Scots voice. He was the kindliest of men, generous almost to a fault, but never making a show of his benefactions, shrouding his greatest gifts in secrecy, and never seeking any reward. He nevertheless loved to drive a hard bargain and could not bear to be 'had'; but he was always scrupulously fair and often gave more than was asked when he thought the seller might be in need, or even that a dealer was not taking sufficent profit' (Dictionary of National Biography)
His interest in fine art were wide ranging. The privately printed catalogue of his collection, published in 1957 some four years after his death, included fine English furniture from the collection Geoffrey Blackwell O.B.E., paintings by Thomas Gainsborough, early illuminated manuscripts and a magnificent set of Gobelins tapestries. Apart from the two lots of important Tudor silver offered here the collection also included a Scottish gold cup and cover, now in the National Museum of Scotland and also a remarkable Charles II gold porringer and cover, by Jacob Bodendick, London, 1675, the chased ornament on which is of the highest quality