Earl of Hardwicke Jewel box

Charles Philip Yorke became the 4th Earl of Hardwicke in 1834 upon the death of his Father the 3rd Earl.  The 3rd Earl had inherited the title from his Uncle the 2nd Earl because he had no surviving male heir and that is why the title passed to his nephew Charles Yorke.
Charles an Admiral in the British Navy, as was his Father before him, had a long and successful career in the Navy and was a Conservative politician. He was a member of Lord Derby's cabinet and was Postmaster General in 1852 and Lord Privy Seal between 1858 and 1859.  The family seat was Wimpole Hall with the Wimpole estate in  Cambridgeshire.
A jewellery and dressing box we have in stock had been given by Earl Hardwick as a present in 1869, the initials "M. E. Y" intertwined are on the box top in brass and engraved into the sterling silver jar and bottle tops, Yorke being the family name

The box is a very fine quality coromandel wood veneered jewel box  with 14 sterling silver topped cut crystal bottles and jars in the upper layer, all with a  London silver hall mark for 1868. The box was made by Wells & Lambe Manufacturers to the Queen, Cockspur Street London. There is a makers label on the red silk inside the lid.

Coromandel wood veneered Jewel/Dressing box given as a gift by Lord Hardwicke 1869

The lower tray is fitted out with nineteen assorted tools, comprising a mother of pearl button hook,  miniature folding button hook,  propelling pencil by Butler and Co.of London, an ink pen by Gillot of London, three pairs of different size scissors, mother of pearl small hand mirror, three mother of pearl manicure tools, sterling silver hall marked double ended spoon, four assorted cork screws, mother of pearl mounted pen knife, large darning needle and finally a small clip on hook which I think a lady would hang a small pocket watch from. All fitted into a leather edged and dark red velvet tray.

The underside of the lid has a velvet covered panel which when released exposes a leather stationery folder that lift out and behind that a very good quality gilt metal on wood shaped dressing mirror is stored. The free standing mirror is beautifully shaped and engraved and has matching initials engraved into the top edge.

The mirror that fits into the under side of the lid

Graham Smith Antiques has been established for 14 years but Graham has been in the antiques business for 40 years. We trade on line and from showrooms on the edge of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and all the items shown on the website are available to view at the show rooms where they are set out in four room settings - for ease of viewing. As long time members of LAPADA [the Association of Art and Antiques Dealers], the UK's largest trade association for professional art and antiques dealers, we want all our customers to be confident to buy from us on line or in person and make every effort to make each sale a pleasure. Please take some time to read our Testimonials page which can be found on the home page of our website.

Sunderland Bridge Glass

At the end of the 18th century the town of Sunderland needed a bridge to join the south bank where the town stood, to the north bank.  At the time it was possible to cross the river by ferry or alternatively take the long journey up the River Wear to the closest crossing at Chester-le-Street. Two local politicians, Rowland Burdon and Ralph Milbanke backed the idea of a bridge so in 1792 a bridge committee was set up to design a bridge. An iron bridge had already been built in Coalbrookedale in Shropshire made of cast iron beams and this very modern idea to span the River Wear was decided upon.
The bridge took a couple of years to build and was finished in 1796 and at that time was the world's largest single span bridge.
One of the items made to commemorate the building of the bridge were glasses with an engraved scene of the new Iron Sunderland bridge as seen below

Sunderland Bridge Rummer

One of the main specifications of the design of the bridge was that the span was high enough to allow ships to pass safely underneath as can be seen on the glasses. Sunderland was an important ship building town and newly constructed ships had to pass under the new bridge and out to sea.

A ship in full sail under the bridge

The glasses were made from the late 18th century and because of the demand continued to be sold well into the middle of the 19th century. Glasses of this size are called "Rummers" but it has nothing to do with rum but we believe comes from the German word for a large glass "roemer" and would hold half a pint and more with a short stem and large bowl

Graham Smith Antiques has been established for 14 years but Graham has been in the antiques business for 40 years. We trade on line and from showrooms on the edge of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and all  the items shown on the website are available to view at the show rooms where they are set out in four room settings - for ease of viewing. As long time members of LAPADA [the Association of Art and Antiques Dealers], the UK's largest trade association for professional art and antiques dealers, we want all our customers to be confident to buy from us on line or in person and make every effort to make each sale a pleasure.  Please take some time to read our Testimonials page which can be found on the home page of our website.

LAPADA Oject of the year

The time has come around again for entries for Lapada (The Association of Art and Antiques Dealers) Object of the Year competition. It is always difficult to decide which item to enter and for what reasons, unusual, rare, quality, or perhaps all three.
For the competition this year I have chosen an article that has several very good features, quality, design and condition. I have just brought into stock an early 19th century table cabinet in almost unused condition made from fine timbers and very pleasing to the eye.

 
William IV rosewood veneered table cabinet the pair of doors with Gothic shaped panels of satin birch and triangular carved corners. The rosewood is solid and backed on to mahogany while the satin birch is veneered on to the mahogany door panel, where the doors meet is a half round rosewood bead and the key hole escutcheons are circles of an undetermined wood.
The cabinet stands on four OG shaped rosewood feet and has gilt brass locking pins to the inside edge of the left hand door and a lock and key for the right hand door, all in working order.

The interior is fitted out with two banks of four drawers which have satin birch veneered fronts with turned ebony knob handles. The drawers are constructed from five different woods, the bottom is pine, the three sides are cedar wood and the drawer front mahogany with the satin birch veneer and a turned ebony knob handle. The drawers are graduated in size and have fine dovetail joints and apart from a little dust look almost unused.

The frame around the drawers is made of solid rosewood and the carcase from which the drawers slide in and out is constructed from pine.
The condition of the cabinet is excellent and when you look at the fine work and time taken to make such a wonderful article it  does make one realise, not for the first time, how reasonably priced antique furniture is and what it would cost to have such a piece commissioned today using the same selection of timbers.
 

Graham Smith Antiques has been established for 14 years but Graham has been in the antiques business for 40 years. We trade on line and from showrooms on the edge of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and all  the items shown on the website are available to view at the show rooms where they are set out in four room settings - for ease of viewing. As long time members of LAPADA [the Association of Art and Antiques Dealers], the UK's largest trade association for professional art and antiques dealers, we want all our customers to be confident to buy from us on line or in person and make every effort to make each sale a pleasure.  Please take some time to read our Testimonials page which can be found on the home page of our website.

Pietra Dura Box

 An interesting small Italian box of great quality has just come into stock, Sarcophagus in shape and with an ebony frame and inset with panels of "Pietra Dura", Italian "Hard Rocks" or stones. The black marble has inset cut pieces of stone in the shapes of flowers, each of the five panels in the box is different and hand made. The moulded ebony frame with a hinged lid and sitting on four turned ebony bun feet.

Pietra Dura Sarcophugus shaped box with a hinged lid

Pietra Dura dates back to Roman times , used in floors and pillars in Italy through out the middle ages. Florence is where it was developed and in 1588 Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany opened the Galleria di'Lavori one of the finest workshops of the Italian Renaissance where workman used the precious and semiprecious stone to make table tops and panels, jardinieres, garden ornaments and artifacts. In the 19th century Naples became a centre for the work but over the years it has declined and the skill is used today mainly for restoration of old pieces 

The interior with panels of boxwood holding each stone plaque in place

 


Graham Smith Antiques has been established for 14 years but Graham has been in the antiques business for 40 years. We trade on line and from showrooms on the edge of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and all  the items shown on the website are available to view at the show rooms where they are set out in four room settings - for ease of viewing. As long time members of LAPADA [the Association of Art and Antiques Dealers], the UK's largest trade association for professional art and antiques dealers, we want all our customers to be confident to buy from us on line or in person and make every effort to make each sale a pleasure.  Please take some time to read our Testimonials page which can be found on the home page of our website.