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Directors Choice –The Ferguson Marine Centrepiece
The Ferguson Marine Centrepiece
The Neptune centrepiece in the Royal Collection has been discussed at length by Kathryn Jones and Christopher Garibaldi (‘Crespin or Sprimont? A Question Revisited”, Silver Studies, the Journal of the Silver Society, No. 21, 2006, pp. 24-38). Described as ‘the purest rococo creation in English silver’, it formed part of the table service displaying the most advanced French taste of the period. The marine theme of the piece, with its Neptune finial, swags of shells and pieces of coral and detachable dishes in the form of abalone shells, suggests it was used to serve fish soups and seafood. Bearing the touch mark of Paul Crespin on the plateau it is accompanied by sauceboats of 1743 and four salts which are by Nicholas Sprimont. It was further embellished by Rundell, Bridge and Rundell in 1826 by raising it on glorious hippocampi. The centrepiece modelled as a large shell supported by a frothing pillar of water, the triform base guarded at each of its three points by hippocamps on a crashing wave base, the feet composed of turtles, coral and shells, the bowl engraved with two coats-of-arms.
The Neptune centrepiece in the Royal Collection has been discussed at length by Kathryn Jones and Christopher Garibaldi (‘Crespin or Sprimont? A Question Revisited”, Silver Studies, the Journal of the Silver Society, No. 21, 2006, pp. 24-38). Described as ‘the purest rococo creation in English silver’, it formed part of the table service displaying the most advanced French taste of the period. The marine theme of the piece, with its Neptune finial, swags of shells and pieces of coral and detachable dishes in the form of abalone shells, suggests it was used to serve fish soups and seafood. Bearing the touch mark of Paul Crespin on the plateau it is accompanied by sauceboats of 1743 and four salts which are by Nicholas Sprimont. It was further embellished by Rundell, Bridge and Rundell in 1826 by raising it on glorious hippocampi. The centrepiece modelled as a large shell supported by a frothing pillar of water, the triform base guarded at each of its three points by hippocamps on a crashing wave base, the feet composed of turtles, coral and shells, the bowl engraved with two coats-of-arms.
