William Beckford

William Beckford, an important pair of George III silver-gilt waiters, by William Burwash, London 1817, circular form, the fronts with chased decoration on a matted background, moulded borders, the underside engraved with two crests, on eight small bracket feet with chased shell and foliate decoration, diameter 17.6cm, approx. weight 22oz. (2) ** It has been suggested that these waiters may have been for use as decanter stands because of their weight and sturdy eight feet. They show clear influence of Renaissance gold work, and also art of the Islamic world. It is possible that the waiters were designed by Gregorio Franchi, the friend and Portuguese agent of Beckford. He is attributed to designing a silver-gilt sideboard dish of similar form, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. This, like the waiters, was made by William Burwash, and is engraved with the Beckford arms. The first crest, an erased heron's head holding a fish in its beak and gorged with a collar of flory counterflory, represents the ancestral crest for William Beckford, inherited from his father Alderman William Beckford, Lord Mayor of London in 1762 and 1769. The second is a crest of Augmentation, assigned under the authority of the Earl Marshall, dated 20 March 1810. Mr Beckford's representation of a co-heir of the Abercon branch of the house of Hamilton is commemorated by the oak tree traversed by a frame saw inscribed with the word THROUGH. Allusion to Beckford's descent from the first Lord Latimer through the Mervyn family, Lords of Fonthill-Gifford, is marked by the Latimer Shield Gules a cross flory Or pendent from the tree. Beckford also adopted the Mervyn motto DE DIEU TOUT in place of LIBERTAS ET NATALIE SOLUM used by his father. Provenance: William Beckford. Christie's 1822, day 6, lot 52 and 53, 'A SILVER GILT GOTHIC SALVER RICHLY CHASED AND ENGRAVED,' Lot 53 'DITTO', possibly Phillips', 1823, day 17, lot 825 and 826, possibly purchased back by Beckford, then by descent to 12th Duke of Hamilton. Hamilton Palace Sale, Christie's 1882, lot 617, 'A PAIR OF CIRCULAR TRAYS', of silver-gilt, covered with ornaments of elaborate flat chasing- 7in. diam, from the Beckford Collection,' sold for £78.15s purchased by Durlacher. Exhibited; one of the waiters was exhibited at William Beckford, 1760-1844: An eye for the magnificent, Bard graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and culture from 18th October 2001 to 6th January 2002. Dulwich Picture gallery, London from the 5th February to 14th April 2002. Literature; William Beckford 1760-1844: An eye for the magnificent exhibition catalogue , edited by Derek E. Ostergard, Yale University press, 2001, page 378.