Decorative Arts, Furniture and Jewellery
Live Virtual Auction, 19 - 21 September 2022
Cape and Continental Silver, Furniture and Design
About the Sessionincluding The Louis & Mavis Shill Collection of Cape Silver
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
A rare and important Jamaican Colonial engraved tortoiseshell and silver-mounted casket, circa 1680, attributed to Paul Bennett (Fl.1673-92)
the rectangular hinged cover engraved with the coat-of-arms of Jamaica, and an engraved monogram AVG, flanked by a pair of palm trees enclosed by a floral border, the front, sides and reverse with sprays of flowers, the corners and front heightened with engraved silver mounts, the sides applied with silver handles, raised on four silver ball feet, restorations, 9,5cm high, 25cm wide, 15,5cm deep
* This lot is not suitable for export
cf. Christies, Lot 81, sold 24 September 2007 where a similar example sold.
Notes
'Following England’s conquest of Jamaica from Spain in 1655, Port Royal developed into a major city of the English Americas. Fuelled by pirate raids on Spanish galleons and ports and a growing plantation economy based on the enslavement of Africans, the city flourished with a wealth of fashionable imported goods and a plethora of local pewterers, silversmiths, blacksmiths, shipwrights and other tradesmen. This prosperity ended suddenly on 7 June 1692, when a massive earthquake swept two thirds of the city under the ocean.
The present casket is similar in the engraving and form to an example sold by Christie’s on 24 September 2007. Fine engraved tortoiseshell combs recently attributed to Paul Bennett and to his follower Matthew Comberford (Fl. 1688- 1692) are now in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (Museum no. 2018.7.1–.3), the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, (Museum No. 524 to B-1877) and the collection of the Institute of Jamaica. The tortoiseshell case and combs are among the earliest surviving works of art made in Jamaica that reflect European influence. The style of the decoration suggests that they were all made by the same unknown artist. The newly awarded arms of Jamaica are engraved on these combs; the same arms that are found on this present lot.'
https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-jamaican-school- 1675-a-jamaican-tortoiseshell-casket-4966339/?from=searchresults&intObjectID=4966339&sid=3acd 9e76-a33c-4073-895a- f787ab0dedc
https://www.chiswickauctions.co.uk/auction/
lot/37-tw0-rare-and-important-late-17th-centuryjamaican-colonial-engraved-tortoiseshell-wigcombs/? lot=144484&sd=164
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