19th Century Silver Gilt Campana Shaped Lidded Vase by John Samuel Hunt

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19th Century Silver Gilt Campana Shaped Lidded Vase by John Samuel Hunt

About the Item

Made by one of the most important English Gold & Silversmiths Gifted in 1846 by a Member of Parliament, who at the time was one of the wealthiest individuals in England, to the prestigious Lyme Regis & Charmouth Regatta. Wonderfully free of a named recipient. The gilding is all original. Important & Rare 19th Century Silver Gilt Campana Shaped Lidded Presentation Vase By John Samuel Hunt. John Samuel Hunt created this masterpiece in neoclassical design for John Attwood Esq MP in 1846. The original gilding exhibits the most gorgeous colour throughout, the exterior has aged to a wonderfully subtle ‘’lemony’’ colour, the interior maintains, due to lack of light, its richness in gold. The fabulously detailed stylised Dolphin finial, sits atop a chased vine and flower decoration, the body, superbly chased with wonderful vine handles and decoration throughout, with the cartouche reading ‘The Gift of I. Attwood Esq MP to the Lyme-Regis & Charmouth Regatta 18th August 1846’, The reverse with vacant cartouche, the socle with chased leaf decoration and the base bearing the inscription; 2786 HUNT & ROSKELL, LATE STORR MORTIMER & HUNT. In excellent condition for its age, use & handling. Hunt & Roskell were a prestigious firm of Jewellers, Silversmiths & Goldsmiths and was originally founded by Paul Storr in 1819 when he left Rundell & Bridge to go in partnership with John Mortimer. John Samuel Hunt, Nephew of Paul Storr, worked for Storr for many years and was regarded as one of the finest Chasers. In 1826 Hunt became a partner in the famous firm of Storr & Mortimer. After his apprenticeship with Paul Storr, Hunt took his place after he retired in 1838, changing the name of the company to Mortimer and Hunt. In 1843 John Mortimer retired and the firm became finally Hunt and Roskell. At that time it counted three partners; John Samuel Hunt, his Son and Robert Roskell Jr. ( son of a Watchmaker from Liverpool). The firm was based in Bond Street, London and gained, presumably in the late 1840s, the Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria. Creating finely ornate centrepieces, tea sets, candelabra as well as impressive jewellery, they also received the appreciation of the Imperial Russian Court, that commissioned several pieces. Their silverware is often naturalistically modelled and exquisitely detailed, decorated with floral and vegetal motifs and scrolling patterns. The firm exhibited at the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London in 1851 and subsequently in New York ( 1853 ) and Paris ( 1867 ) growing in popularity and prosperity not just in England but also abroad. After the death of John Samuel Hunt and Robert Roskell, their sons kept running the business. The company became a Limited company and survived until the late 1960’s. John Attwood Esq, MP, ( 1781-1865 ) descended from the Attwood’s of Halesowen. This family of Midlands industrialists and bankers claimed descent from the medieval Attwood’s of Park Atwood, Wolverley, and Perdiswell in Worcestershire, who were supplying that county with some of its MPs as far back as the 14th century. James Attwood (1744-1821), John’s Father was arguably the first of the family to establish himself as a gentleman, when he built Corngreaves Hall on the border between Rowley Regis and Halesowen, in the midst of his ironworking interests. His son, John Attwood developed an expanded ironworks at Corngreaves from 1818, but in 1825 he sold the whole family business and the Hall to three of the partners in the British Iron Co., Messrs. Taylor, Small and Shears, for the astonishing sum of £550,000. It was, however, a deal which went sour. After only a few months, the new partners found that the profits were far short of what they had expected, and they brought a lawsuit against John Attwood, claiming that he had knowingly misled them about his costs, and seeking to have the purchase contract set aside. In 1831, after what was then one of the most complex trials in English legal history, the judge brought in a verdict in their favour, but Attwood immediately appealed and in 1838 the House of Lords reversed the decision. In 1838, once securely in possession of his fortune, John Attwood invested part of it in the purchase of a large landed estate, Hylands Park near Chelmsford in Essex ( which he substantially enlarged and rebuilt ), a town house in London, and in buying up property in Harwich ( Essex ), to the point where he commanded substantial political influence in the town. In 1841 he was stood as a Tory for election as MP for Harwich and his 'interest' in the borough secured his election. He held the seat through two further elections, but in 1848 accusations of bribery in the election the previous year ( when, he eventually admitted, he had spent £10,000 on bribes and 'treating' ) led to the election result being overturned. With the part of his wealth that was not in property, he invested; or, to be more accurate, speculated. In 1853, an investment in iron futures went badly wrong. Although the sale of his estates and Harwich property eventually covered most of his debts, he was left bankrupt, ruined and disgraced. In the time honoured fashion of genteel bankrupts the family withdrew to Boulogne, where he died in 1865. Held traditionally in August, Lyme Regis annual Regatta Day started around 1825, it's forerunner in 1810 being a boat race held once a year. Yacht races were the main feature of these early regattas. In 1847 there were three such races with silver cups to the value of £100 being presented to the gentlemen winners. Events included sailing and rowing races, with competitors competing for generous prize money. Local coastguard stations competed against each other in four-oared gigs and in twenty-oared station boats. Sponsorship of regattas was both prestigious & viewed as a civic obligation, contributions coming from wealthy gentlemen and principal tradesmen of the town. A Museum quality masterpiece. Approximate Size: Height 13.5 inches Width 8.5 inches Weight: 45 Troy Ounces, 1,402g.

Creator:
John Samuel Hunt (Maker),Hunt & Roskell (Retailer)
Dimensions:
Height: 13.5 in (34.29 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)Depth: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)
Style:
Neoclassical (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Sterling Silver,Gilt
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1846
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1204218408042