Rare Australian Silver Presentation Cup by Charles Jones (1850)
A rare Australian silver covered presentation cup by Charles Jones (1819-1864), Hobart, Tasmania, circa 1850, modelled in the form of an urn, the shallow domed lid with applied cast kangaroo finial with leaf surround and bearing the inscription, 'Presented to /James Grant Esq/ Tullochgorum/ By the Inhabitants of the Fingal District/ For His Energy in Accomplishing the Road From Avoca to Falmouth V. D. Land /1849', the trumpet shaped bowl has an applied coat of arms, a shield with three crowns, supported by two Tasmanian aboriginal figures standing on a bough engraved 'Stand Fast', the bowl rests in an acanthus leaf cup with punched and engraved decoration, the stem comprises four inverted scrolled acanthus leaves to a shallow domed circular base with punched and engraved foliate border, struck with an anchor, lion passant, sovereign's head (Queen Victoria) and Cj in rectangle struck twice 972gms, 28.
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Register Now to view actual auction price for this item.
- Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
- Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.
Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins. - Acanthus - A stylized leaf motif, one of the primary decorative elements of classical Greek and Roman architecture, derived from the genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean area. It is a common element in classical Greek and Roman design, and is often seen in Corinthian and Composite order columns and used as a decorative element in English, European and Australian furniture, particularly on the curve of a leg, and as decoration for a corbel.
- Engraving - The method of decorating or creating inscriptions on silver and other metal objects by marking the surface with a sharp instrument such as a diamond point or rotating cutting wheel.
- Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
This item has been included into following indexes:
