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| Rare Canova Pattern Silver Gilt Dessert Spoon & Fork - Chawner & Co.
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Reference: S11608
Period: Victorian
Year: 1867
Silversmith: Chawner & Co. (George Adams)
Place: London
Weight: 127 grams
Dimensions: 18.1 cm
Condition: Excellent, some light wear to gilding (fork tines and back of cartouche where it touches the table).
Description: A fabulous pair of Canova pattern dessert spoon and fork, which was produced by Chawner & Co. for the Great Exhibition of 1851. They are both fabulous quality and in excellent condition, with some very light wear to the gilding. The set was designed as a tribute to the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova, regarded as one of the greatest Neoclassical sculptors. They feature Canova's "Dancer with Finger on Chin", the original is now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., but was originally purchased in 1823 from the artist by Charles Stewart (later Vane), 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, when he was based in Vienna as Ambassador to Austria. On the back of the bowls they feature "Sappho with Lyre", the detail on both is very appealing, supplemented with other features (masks, 2 putti with flowers above the dancer, and bird with fruit in its mouth, and a bearded figure), The Sappho figure is surrounded by architectural features, scrolls, shells and foliage, the detail is amazing. Both spoon and fork are clearly hallmarked for London 1867, alongside makers mark GA and journeymans mark E. We know Chawner & Co. produced this design for the 1851 Great exhibition as a drawing of the design was featured in the illustrated catalogue "Great Exhibition of the works of Industry of all Nations, 1851, Offical Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue, 3 vols, Volume 2 page 685". The catalogue description correctly describes the figure as "Dancer with Finger on Chin", unfortunately the book "Silver Flatware" (a book we highly recommend) by Ian Pickford (page 143) incorrectly describes the figure as "Dancing Figure Reposing", an error that has now been replicated by numerous auction houses and dealers. The sculpture Dancing Girl Reposing was not by Canova, but was by William Marshall. Pickford notes that the pattern was only produced for dessert services, and "even these are very rare". It is interesting to note that the Canova pattern is depicted twice in the book "Tiffany Silver Flatware 1845- 1905' (another book we highly recommend!) by William Hood, pages 51 and 75, showing the design is comparable to the equally fabulous Tiffany designs of the period. Canova pattern was also featured in the article "Exceptional Nineteenth Century British Flatware", Silver Magazine March 2004, pages 18-27, where a Canova pattern dessert set was described as rare.
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Rare Canova Pattern Silver Gilt Dessert Spoon & Fork
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Canova Pattern Silver Gilt Dessert Spoon & Fork
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Canova Pattern Silver Gilt
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Sappho with Lyre
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Canova pattern flatware
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Silver Gilt Dessert Spoon & Fork
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Canova flatware gilded mask
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Canova spoon and fork, silver gilt
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Chawner & Co, George Adams, London hallmarks
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Chawner Canova flatware
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