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Directors Choice – The Chesterfield Service
This week’s Director’s Choice focuses on one of the most incredible Ambassadorial services of the early 18th century; that of the plate issued to Philip Stanhope the 4th Earl of Chesterfield. He was appointed Ambassador to the Hague in 1727 and would have required the most lavish silver styled in the latest fashion of the day. This service represented the nation and thus bore the royal coat-of-arms of King George I. Aside from its function, the service was intended to show the power and wealth of England, and the scale and gauge of the individual pieces achieved this goal perfectly. We are privileged to present the serving dishes from the Ambassadorial service which were fashioned in two different sizes. The dishes have gadrooned borders with cast and applied bacchic and winged cherub masks interspersed by acanthus at equal intervals. They are also engraved with the Royal Arms and initials GR, marked on bases. It would seem this border was a feature of much of the dinner service and can also be seen on a pair of soup tureens bearing Paul Crespin touch mark that now reside at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
