English Collections 1 - 18th Century Indian Filigree at Powis Castle

English Collections 1.

The 18th Century Indian Filigree at Powis Castle.

The Clive of India Filigree.

(Post in preparation).

A Pair of  late 18th Century Rose water sprinklers.

Described as Chinese (Canton)

in Treasures from India, The Clive Collection at Powis Castle,  Pub. National Trust 1987.

Image courtesy National Trust Collections website.

Quite why the NT provide such poor quality images remains to be discovered.

Sprinklers Height 32 cms. - Saucers Diam 13.5cms.

Believed to have been brought from India by Henrietta Herbert, Lady Clive (1786 - 1835).

The saucers bear the inscription "These Gulab Dauns were found in the sleeping apartment of Tippoo Sultaun on the 4th May 1799 when Seringapatam was taken by storm & Tippoo was slain. They were presented to the Countess of Powis"

The Powis Castle 18th Century Silver Filigree Toilet Set.

The two Cuttack Indian boxes and the candle stand don't appear to be related to the Rosewater Sprinklers and saucers - the style of the filigree is quite different.

This set is probably that described as "2 Filigree rosewater bottles and 2 Do (ditto) stands to 2 Do (ditto) Dressing boxes/ a Do Candlestick for 2 Candles" in the 1774 inventory.

Listed again in 1775 as "Two Philigree Rosewater Bottles with Saucers/ Bottles h. 11 1/2 in. x 3 1/2 in. dia. / two Philigree dressing boxes h.2 x 6 3/8in. dia. One Philigree Candlestick h. 2 5/8 x 5 7/8 x 4 in".

Rosewater Sprinkler.

height 29 cms.

Rosewater Sprinkler Saucer.

Diam 16 cms.

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Indian Double Candle holder, probably Cuttack (Kattack), Orissa.

6.5 x 15 x 10 cms.

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In the collection there is also another pair of (Chinese) silver filigree rosewater sprinklers height 25 cms (photograph above) in a wooden box covered in woven silk. These are mentioned in the 1774 inventory as "An Indian box containing two fillagree Rose water bottles" and again in 1775 as... "Two curious philligree Chinese rosewater bottles".

I will contact Powis Castle to see if we can shed further light and obtain better photographs.

Another very similar pair of  silver gilt filigree Rosewater bottles were recently with London dealer Michael Backman, with a provenance of Welbeck Abbey.

Height 23 cms.

Image above and text below from the excellent website of Micheal Backman.

https://www.michaelbackmanltd.com/archived_objects/silver-gilt-filigree-rosewater-sprinklers-batavia-china/

I am sincerely grateful to Michael Backman for allowing me to use his photographs and to quote from his website.

"The pair has as its provenance, the Duke of Portland. The pair is listed in the 1935 inventory of the then Duke’s collection of silver housed at Welbeck Abbey, the Duke’s country seat. (see Jones, 1935, p. 8). They are listed as: ‘A pair of filigree bottles with globular bodies. Height, 8 3/4 in. Maltese (?), early 19th century’. The dating and origins were a likely best guess.

 

It is not clear how this pair entered the collection. However, Jones’ introduction to the inventory mentions that the family’s collection of silver is the result of several family inheritances, including a quantity of silver items brought to England by Hans William Bentinck, a Dutch and English nobleman who became the first Duke of Portland. Bentinck lived in England and Holland variously in the late 17th century and in 1690 was sent by William III to The Hague on a diplomatic mission. 

It is doubtful that the sprinklers are as early as this but the family’s early origins in and connections with underscore the possibility that the sprinklers are the product of United East India Company or Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) related workmanship in Batavia (or possibly China) and were exported to Holland from where they were acquired by the family and brought to England"

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I intend in the future to post separately on Rosewater bottles as there are quite a few survivals.

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