[Covered cup, mounted, with silver gilt] [realia].

[Covered cup, mounted, with silver gilt] [realia].

[England] : [s.n.], [18th or 19th century]

1 covered cup : mulberry tree wood ; Cup: 17 in. high, 12 in. wide (with handles); Tray 3 1/4 in. high; Base 5 1/8 in.; Pedestal: 39 in. high; Dome: 24 in. high.

wood

The cup has carvings in high relief. On one side is Garrick between Comedy and Tragedy after the painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. On the opposite side is a carving of the buckbasket scene from Merry Wives of Windsor. Beneath these carvings is a row of eight heads of Shakespeare characters including Henry VIII and Falstaff. Each head is seen above mulberry leaves which decorate the base of the bowl. The stem, fluted and swirled. is encircled with a silver gilt ornament about 1/2" thick. The foot is carved with 8 large mulberry leaves interspersed with 8 large mulberries. Attached to foot with 4 screws is an ornamental rim in silver gilt. Lid, carved with 4 large mulberries is surmounted with a full-length figure, said to represent David Garrick as Richard III in Sotheby catalog for July 3, 1923, lot no. 484. Figure is holding a book in his left hand and a sword in his right, the tip touching the ground. It is possibly made of silver gilt. The silver-gilt handles, which represent bound vines, terminate in clusters of grapes and grape leaves under rim.

Certification: at the edge of the silver gilt lining: Part of the mulberry tree planted by the immortal Shakespeare at Stratford on Avon. Formerly in the possession of the late David Garrick [i.e. the wood, not the cup]...and since purchased with authenticated testimony by M. M. Zachary... There is no testimonial by Zachary with the cup or the cataloged or uncataloged manuscripts and there is no additional correspondence in Case Correspondence Files. A testimonial for a different cup came with the piece in an a.l.s. from Richard Holmes Laurie, June 2, 1857. The cup he described was sold by S. Leigh Sotheby and John Wilkinson, May 21, 1857, lot no 898. See Film Acc. 484 (86) for record of sale. Letter is in folder marked, Misc. Curios, in Art Records File. Sotheby catalog for July 3, 1923, lot no. 484, states that the handle, base and lining of the cup are silver gilt by Robert Hennell. The initials, RH, head of the king, and a lion passant have been die stamped on the side of the mounted foot.

Has a wood pedestal and a glass dome stored separately.

Provenance: From the library of Edward Huth, auctioned by Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, July 3, 1923, lot no. 484. Auction catalog, Film Acc. 484 (289) is annotated with the buyer's name, Maggs, Oct. 15, 1923. See Mrs. Folger's card file under Mulberry. Correspondence in Art Provenance File in folder marked Misc. Curios. With correspondence is an article clipped from The Woman's World, March 1890, in which a picture of the cup was reproduced for having been exhibited at the Tudor Exhibition in that year. It is listed as no. 929 in the catalog, Exhibition of the Royal House of Tudor...1890. The cup was loaned by Edward Huth's brother, Alfred Henry Huth. The catalog of the collection of their father, Henry Huth, The Huth Library ... 1890, has no entries for relics. Another clipping from The Illustrated London News has a drawing of the cup dated 1890.Cup is recorded in auction catalog for the property of M. M. Zachary sold by Christie and Manson, on Friday, March 30, 1838, lot no. 83. Catalog for this sale is shelved with the Auction Catalogs. Description reads in part, "This beautiful...ornament was carved from the authenticated block which was purchased by the late proprietor, at the sale of Garrick's effects, May 5, 1825. See main entry under Garrick, David. A catalog...[1825?] This copy is annotated with the hammer price, 31 guineas.

In addition to being shown in the Tudor Exhibition of 1890, this cup was exhibited in "Shakespeare: the Globe and the World," Oct. 7, 1979-Sept 7, 1982.

Great Britain -- England.

Wood no. 13 (realia)

This record contains unverified data from a re-keying contract and may contain incorrect or incomplete text. Please consult Curator for assistance.

cs1177, cs1178; ART Inv. 1122