14th Jun, 2022 10:00
Fine Interiors - Two Day Sale
371
An important Paris porcelain cup and saucer from Nelson's 'Baltic Service'
cup 10cm wide
6cm wide
saucer 12.5cm diameter (2)
Provenance: The residual contents of Bixley Manor by instruction of the executors of Sir Timothy Colman KG.
Accompanied by a receipt of purchase from Mortlock's Ltd., dated August 1895.
The various Baltic and Nelson Services were presumably created in some haste ahead of the Lord Mayor's inauguration, and it is likely the London decorating workshop responsible used the only blank porcelain available to them, a mixture of Coalport and Paris porcelain. The assemblage must have been very large as Nelson started to divide the amount and give to various relatives almost immediately. One 'Baltic Set' tea service was delivered to Merton, the house Nelson shared with Emma and is listed in the 1805 inventory. Another, slightly larger, set belonged to Nelson's sister, Catherine 'Kitty' Matcham, and this featured in Sotheby's sale of 'Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars, including The Matcham Collection', 5 October 2005, lot 22. According to family tradition, another set for dessert with an oak leaf border had been given to Catherine by her brother, Horatio Nelson. It is conceivable her Baltic tea set had also been passed on to her by her brother because it was surplus to Nelson's needs. More of the set of the Baltic porcelain was given to Nelson's brother, William. Horatio Nelson's brother William married Hilare Barlow in March 1829. Hilare was the daughter of Admiral Sir Robert Barlow GBC, whose illustrious naval career included command of HMS Triumph, part of Nelson's fleet in the Mediterranean.
Porcelain from both the 'Nelson' and the 'Baltic' Services was inherited by Nelson's niece, Charlotte, who was William Nelson's daughter from his first marriage. Charlotte Nelson, Duchess of Bronte, had received many of Nelson's possessions after his death. Charlotte may even have had a Baltic tea set of her own, as she had accompanied her uncle to the Lord's Mayor's Inauguration. Charlotte married Samuel Hood, Baron Bridport, and Nelson's porcelain and many other relics were inherited by his son, Alexander Nelson, Viscount Bridport. Lord Bridport's sale at Christie's in July 1895 featured many pieces of the Baltic service. Other pieces are in the Nelson-Ward Collection bequeathed to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich in 1946 by the grandson of Horatia, Nelson and Emma Hamilton's daughter.
Due to the date of the surviving invoice, I think it pretty obvious that this teacup and saucer of Paris porcelain came from the Bridport sale at Christie's in July 1895. This is a clincher for me in terms of the date and is useful creating a direct route for the cup and saucer in terms of provenance, even from the day of the presentation itself, and the eyewitness description we have from Charlotte Nelson who was eventually to own it.
We are grateful to Paul Crane for his help with cataloguing this rare piece from Nelson's Baltic Service.
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The Residual Contents of Bixley Manor, Norfolk
We are delighted to present ninety lots of fine antique silver, traditional antiques, and works of art that furnished both the interior and the grounds of Bixley Manor, the home to one of East Anglia’s best-known families for almost 150 years, most recently businessman Sir Timothy James Alan Colman (1929-2021) and his wife Lady Mary Colman (née Bowes-Lyon), niece of the Queen Mother.
Sold for £1,200
Condition Report
Cup - rim chip of 2.5m to the inside and a glaze crack. Painted decoration good. Some loss to gilt, particularly the inscriptions and date. Surface scratches and wear commensurate with age. Loss to glaze and residue to the inside.
Saucer - rim chip of 1cm. Loss to gilt inscriptions. Surface scratches.
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Auction: Fine Interiors - Two Day Sale, 14th Jun, 2022
Sworders’ quarterly curated Fine Interiors sales offer stylish period and modern furnishings, decorative antiques, and important works of art, fusing traditional British and Continental antiques with eclectic works of art from Europe and further afield. With a focus on quality, rarity and style, they appeal to the discerning modern buyer whose taste and appreciation stretch far beyond the high street.
Highlights from our June sale will include pieces from several notable British estates, including the collection of Camden Passage antique dealer, Gordon Gridley, the residual contents of Bixley Manor, home of Sir Timothy Colman KG, and The Paolo Moschino Edit, a selection of pieces from the award-winning interior designer's Antique & Vintage collection.
Viewing
VIEWING
Highlights
A selection of highlights will be available to view at our London Gallery, Cecil Court, London, WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Wed 25 May, 10.30am - 4pm
Thu 26 May, 10.30am - 4pm
Fri 27 May, 10.30am - 4pm
Sat 28 May, 10am - 2pm
Mon 30 May, 10.30am - 4pm
Tue 31 May, 10.30am - 4pm
Wed 1 June, 10.30am - 4pm
For information on which lots will be on view, please contact: fineinteriors@sworder.co.uk
Auction
Auction viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Fri 10 June, 10am - 5pm
Sat 11 June, 10am - 2pm
Sun 12 June, 10am - 2pm
Mon 13 June, 10am - 5pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
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