John Sandon
Consultant
Lot 368
An important pair of Herculaneum ice pails, covers and liners, circa 1820
18 May 2016, 10:30 BST
London, Knightsbridge£3,000 - £4,000
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Fergus Gambon
Director
Anna Burnside
Head of Sale
An important pair of Herculaneum ice pails, covers and liners, circa 1820
From the service made for the City of Liverpool, of campana form with lion mask handles, the finials formed as the head of a Liver Bird, decorated with four oval panels printed in gold with the arms and motto of the City of Liverpool, reserved on an orange ground with scrollwork and flowers in white and gold, 36.5cm high (one beak restored, some minor damage and wear) (6)
Footnotes
These formed part of an extensive banqueting service ordered by the City of Liverpool and still in use at the Town Hall until the 1970s. The original cost of the service was £1.14s.11d, the order forming part of the refurbishment of the Town Hall following the fire of 1795. It was probably first used on 11 October 1820 at the Ball and Supper given by the Mayor, Sir John Tobin to celebrate the opening of the new ballroom, an event for which 1100 invitations were issued. See Peter Hyland, The Herculaneum Pottery, pp.154-157.