Hunt & Roskell / England 1843–97 / Presentation vase 1864 / Sterling silver, cast and chased, with silver-plated insert / 53 x 42cm (diam.) / Purchased 2009 with funds raised through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 30th Anniversary Appeal / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Hunt & Roskell
Presentation vase 1864

Not Currently on Display

The magnificent Presentation vase 1864 made by the firm of Hunt & Roskell, is the most important example of Victorian silver in the QAGOMA Collection. It has significant links with Australia in the beautifully cast and chased pair of kangaroos and an emu mounted on the base.

The vase belongs to a group of similar major presentation pieces with openwork decoration in the form of interwoven vine branches, fruit and leaves and the mixture of naturalism and rococo-revival styles is very indicative of high Victorian taste in England. Naturalism, in the replication of the form and colour of the natural world, was a strong element in English decorative arts from the eighteenth century onwards. The English taste for the Louis XV rococo style expanded at the end of the century, with the wholesale dispersal of aristocratic collections after the French Revolution. By the middle of the nineteenth century, a full-blown rococo revival was underway in the decoration of furniture, porcelain and, especially, silverware. It is especially obvious in the elaborate and irregular scrolling of the base of this vase.

This highly elaborate naturalistic decoration is unlike anything ever produced in the Australian colonies, though the presence Australian fauna (and a camel) around the base suggest that it was commissioned with an Australian connection in mind. When the vase was auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on 26 April 1985, it was described as of ‘Australian interest’ because it was believed to have been a presentation to Charles Joseph Latrobe (1801–75), who was Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Victoria.

The British firm Hunt & Roskell was heir to the legendary Regency silversmith, Paul Storr, who established the business in 1819. His partner, John Samuel Hunt, married Storr’s niece. Hunt & Roskell’s reputation peaked around the middle of the nineteenth century, and they were recognised, with the granting of the prestigious Royal Warrant, as silversmiths and jewelers to Queen Victoria.

Discussion Questions

1. With the date of manufacture in mind, why do you think a vase of this style was made with these particular plants and animals?

2. In what context might we find a cup like this today?

 

Activities

Using cardboard and construction material, design and construct a presentation vessel to be awarded to a friend or family member. Your design should match the personality and qualities of the person you would like to award.


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