RAGO WILL AUCTION THREE 18TH C. EARL OF WARRINGTON SILVER SERVING PLATTERS ON DECEMBER 5, 2014.

Mates to those held in the collection of the National Trust at Dunham Massey 

Lambertville, NJ:  On December 5, Rago Arts and Auction Center will auction three oval silver serving platters, part of an 18th century armorial service created for the 2nd Earl of Warrington, George Booth (1675-1758), and the 5th Earl of Warrington and Stanford, George Harry Grey (1737-1819). 

It’s a physical thrill for me to connect with silver of such lineage,” said Sarah Churgin, who directs the sale of silver at Rago. “Researching these platters has been a trip back in time, a lesson in history told through the decorative arts, a glimpse into the English aristocracy…. Can you tell I’m a serious Downton Abbey fan?”

The Booth family seat at Dunham Massey, a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, holds in its collection another three platters of this form from the original 24. (See Country House Silver from Dunham Massey by James Lomax and James Rothwell, Anova Books, 2007, p. 74.)

George Booth, the 2nd Earl, devoted himself to solidifying the family's fortune and building a silver collection. A numbered service, by 1750 it inventoried over 25,000 ounces of silver. The platters on auction at Rago weigh a total of 231.58 OT. 

One was made by Peter Archambo, a Huguenot silver and goldsmith, in London in 1730 for George Booth. Two were made by John Wakelin & William Taylor, London, in 1786, for George Harry Gray. (Wakeline and Taylor made six platters in all.)

On each platter the Earl’s coronet surmounts the coat of arms of Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington (1652-1694) and his family motto “Quod Ero Spero” (translated as “What I hope to accomplish, I will accomplish” or “Hope, Perseverance, Success”).

Measuring 15 ½” x 10 ¾”; 17 ½” x 12 5/8”; and 22’ x 16 5/8”, the platters are waisted, with cast rims. The one made for George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington, is incised #30/50-18 by Peter Archambo, London, 1730. The two made for George Harry Gray, 5th Earl of Stamford and Warrington, are scratched #64-12 and #122-18 by John Wakelin and William Taylor, London, 1786. 

Ms. Churgin believes these are in all likelihood the same platters sold through Christies London in April 1921.

TO THE EDITOR

High-resolution image(s) available on request.

About Rago Arts and Auction Center

Rago is a leading U.S. auction house with $30 million in sales in 2013. We serve thousands of sellers and buyers internationally with a singular blend of global reach and personal service. Rago holds auctions of 20th/21st c. design, fine art, decorative arts, furnishings, jewelry, militaria, coins and currency, Asian, historic ephemera, and ethnographic property.  A world-class venue through which to buy and sell, it offers valuations for personal property (from a single piece to collections and estates), appraisals, estate services, exhibitions and lectures in house and online. Rago is based in New Jersey, midway between Philadelphia and New York City.

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