13th Sep, 2024 9:30 GMT/BST
The Swinton Sale
29
A Cased Set of Twelve Victorian Silver Fish-Knives and a Pair of Fish-Servers
by George Adams, London, The Fish-Knives 1860, The Fish-Servers 1861
Grecian pattern, the blades of the twelve fish-knives engraved with a fish, the blades and tines of the fish-servers engraved with a fishing boat at sail, the handles engraved with the Sinclair crest within a garter motto and filled, in fitted oak box with vacant brass shield, with pull-out tray
the box 35.5cm wide (26)
The crest is probably that of Sir John Sinclair, 6th Baronet (1794-1873), ancestor of Susan Lilian Primrose Cunliffe-Lister, Countess of Swinton, Baroness Masham of Ilton through her father Major Sir Ronald Sinclair, 8th Baronet (1899-1952).
Sold for £350
Estimated at £120 - £180
Each piece is marked as expected. There is some wear to the marks but in general each is legible. There is some overall surface scratching and wear, consistent with age and use. The wear is noticeable as a softening to the high points and the engraving. The box with wear and marks and some warping to the cover. Part of one dovetail is lacking from the cover.
Auction: The Swinton Sale, 13th Sep, 2024
THE SELECTED CONTENTS OF DYKES HILL HOUSE, MASHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE, FORMERLY THE PROPERTY OF THE 2nd EARL AND COUNTESS OF SWINTON AND SOLD ON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE 4th EARL AND FAMILY AND THE TRUSTEES OF THE LORD SWINTON WILL TRUST
The Swinton Sale, will include a selection of fine English and Continental Furniture, Paintings, Sculpture, Chinese Works of Art, Silver, Meissen, Sèvres, Books and Objets d’Art from one of Yorkshire’s most important landed estates.
The Swinton Estate which spans approximately 20,000 acres encompasses some of the most beautiful landscape in North Yorkshire and has been in the ownership of the Cunliffe-Lister family since the 1880s. Dykes Hill House, close to Swinton Park, became the family seat and home to the 2nd Earl and Lady Masham following a life changing injury when she was thrown from her horse shortly before their wedding in 1959, causing her to be paralysed from the waist down.
The 2nd Earl died in 2006 and his widow Susan Cunliffe-Lister, Countess of Swinton, Baroness Masham of Ilton, DL, continued to lead a full life as a British crossbench member of the House of Lords. Amongst her many achievements, she was a former Paralympic athlete and was also the founder and lifelong President of the Spinal Injuries Association. She died on 12th March 2023.
Whilst a number of the chattels have been retained by the family, the remaining contents of Dykes Hill House provide a rare glimpse of what epitomises the quintessential taste of the English aristocracy.
Viewing
Wednesday 11th - Thursday 12th September 10am-4pm, and the morning of the sale from 8am.
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