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Lot 130
A rare and important London enamel calendar plaque by Anthony Tregent, dated 1759
23 February 2022, 11:00 GMT
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £7,012.50 inc. premium
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A rare and important London enamel calendar plaque by Anthony Tregent, dated 1759
Of upright rectangular form, printed in fine detail with a calendar entitled 'A NEW YEAR'S GIFT, for 1759', with notes for the year, mention of various saints' days and symbols denoting each new moon, half moon and full moon, over-stamped in red to the bottom right 'ONE PENNY DUTY', marked 'by Anth. Tregent in Denmark Street', the gilt metal frame with a loop for suspension, 12.8cm high including hanging loop
Footnotes
Provenance
Lady Mullens Collection, Christie's sale, 18 March 1987, lot 407
A snuff box by Anthony Tregent, printed with the same calendar for 1759 is illustrated and discussed by Eric Benton, The London Enamellers, ECC Trans, Vol.8, Pt.2, (1972) plate 109c. See the following announcement placed in 'The Daily Advertiser' on 23 and 29 December 1758;
'ANTHONY TREGENT, enameller, at the Dial in Denmark-Street, St Giles's, Inventor of the Enamel New Year's Gift (so much admir'd and in request last year) humbly begs leave to acquaint the Nobility and Gentry that he has just finish'd a new one for 1759, being a curious Performance in Enamel accurately denoting, after the Manner of a Kalendar, the Days of the Month, and other Occurrences in the Yer...a genteel and useful Present for the New Year'.
It would appear that in 1758 various other enamellers had attempted to copy Tregent's idea and put out what he saw as substandard imitations of his design and so 'to prevent the like Imposition on the Publick, and Prejudice to him, Notice is hereby given, that the Originals invented and done by him are enter'd at the Stamp Office, the Duty paid, and the Offices Mark, together with the Name and Place of Abode, appear thereon.' Duty was payable on newsprint in England from 1757 during the 7 years war and in this case the stamp was also used to differentiate Tregent's 'originals' from those made by imposters, as he saw them. A snuff box in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, (accession no. 03.26.3) lacking the signature or duty stamp would appear to be one of the latter, according to Tregent.
The present lot is unusual for the fact that the entire calendar is printed on one large plaque, rather than printed in sections and mounted into a snuff box. Perhaps it fulfilled a particular commission from a wealthy client who wished to have this displayed at a desk or in a carriage.