9th Dec, 2025 10:00
Fine Interiors
122
A Coade stone Royal Coat of Arms
late 18th century, depicting the arms of King George III, the oval quartered shield raised in high relief with the royal devices, the motto 'HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE' to the outside edge, flanked by the lion and the unicorn, the rectangular base raised with the inscription 'DIEU ET MON DROIT' and impressed 'COADE, LAMBETH 1791',
122cm wide
47cm deep
85cm high
Eleanor Coade (1733-1821), one of the most remarkable industrialists of the Georgian period, perfected a durable ceramic stoneware capable of withstanding the harshest weather while retaining the crispness of fine sculpture. From her Lambeth manufactory, established in 1769, she supplied architectural and ornamental commissions to leading architects including Robert Adam, James Wyatt, John Nash and Sir John Soane. The factory received the Royal Warrant, allowing Coade to reproduce and sell the Royal Arms to other warrant-holding firms, amongst others in Bond Street, Holborn, Charing Cross, the Strand, St James's Street and Piccadilly.
The Royal Arms of George III appear in Coade’s 1784 catalogue (no. 429, 'His Majesty’s on a Panel', 4ft 6in × 3ft 10in, priced £15 15s, as well as three other models), illustrating the demand for such works in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Alison Kelly ('Mrs Coade's Stone', 1990, pp.274-5) illustrates two reliefs with Royal Arms rampant (as opposed to couchant, where the lion and unicorn are lying down), of which one, on Beverley Sessions House, Yorkshire, is dated to 1807.
Comparable examples are recorded, including one sold at Christie’s, 'Garden Statuary - Wrotham Park', 9 November 1993, lot 78, and another at Sotheby's, 'Old Master Sculpture & Works of Art', 2 July 2019, lot 128.
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
Sold for £6,500
Condition Report
Lacking crown surmount. Unicorn's horn missing.
IN PERSON
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Please note that we normally offer this service for lots with an estimate of £500 or higher and all telephone bid requests must be received by close of business the day before the auction.
Auction: Fine Interiors, 9th Dec, 2025
Our final Fine Interiors sale of 2025 offers a celebration of style, history, and decorative flair.
Day One begins with a sophisticated collection from a St John’s Wood interior, London, setting the tone for a remarkable array of decorative furniture, furnishings, and works of art sourced from international collections. Among the highlights are an impressive pair of George II giltwood pier mirrors attributed to Matthias Lock, and magnificent 18th-century statues with provenance to Barrington Hall, Hatfield Broad Oak, alongside many other notable pieces.
Day Two presents a considered East Anglian collection, representing a lifetime of refined connoisseurship and taste, with treasures spanning from the 17th to the 20th centuries. We warmly invite you to browse the fully illustrated catalogue below.
Viewing
London Viewing | Highlights
A selection of lots will be on view Tuesday 11 - Thursday 27 November at our London Gallery, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Monday-Friday, 11am - 5.30pm
Saturday - Closed
Sunday - Closed
For more information, please contact 0203 971 2500 | london@sworder.co.uk
Stansted Viewing | Auction
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Friday 5 December, 10am - 4pm
Sunday 7 December, 10am - 1pm
Monday 8 December, 10am - 4pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
The auction will take place at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
Please note that this item is not suitable for a pre-sale automated shipping estimate due to the items weight/size.
The below table shows indicative shipping costs for larger items being delivered within the UK mainland. Please note that all the below costs are purely for indicative purposes and are to be used as a guideline only. If you purchase multiple large items, we will combine deliveries to reduce the shipping costs.
Should you be successful in buying this item, a specific shipping estimate will need to be requested after the sale using the link in your invoice email; this also includes all requests for international delivery.
If you would like further information about shipping and collection please see here.
Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
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