A virtue in vertu
29th October 2023
A three-century old snuff box that tells a tale of political intrigues, family feuds and potential murder forms part of an extensive private collection being sold on Tuesday 31st October at Woolley and Wallis.
The history of the gold-mounted mother-of-pearl box (lot 1652) is worthy of any Hallowe’en tale, as it is decorated with the armorial of the Dukedom of Norfolk impaling Sherburne and relates to the ill-feted Thomas Howard, 8th Duke of Norfolk.
The box was made to commemorate the duke’s marriage to the 16 year old Mary Maria Winifred Francisca Sherburne (sometimes spelt Shireburn) - daughter and sole heir of Sir Nicholas Sherburne of Lancashire in 1709. His intended’s strong financial position appears to have been at least part of what attracted her to the duke; she was noted as “having upwards of £3,000 per annum” (over half a million by today’s standards), and came with a dowry of £30,000 (nearly £4.5m).
The marriage was childless and does not appear to have been a happy affair. Mary’s strong Catholic and Jacobite leanings were stifled by her husband, who preferred to keep his political inclinations more muted. It is ironic that it was he who was arrested in 1722 on suspicion of involvement in a Jacobite plot. Despite Mary securing his bail, their marriage never recovered. Thomas died in 1732 after a long and painful illness, among reports that he had been poisoned. The widowed Mary married Peregrine Widdrington – a staunch Jacobite – just a few months later.
“This snuff box is one of a number included in a widely varied collection of vertu that we are delighted to be selling,” explained Silver specialist, Rupert Slingsby. “Its provenance and rarity gives it a starting price of £3,000.”
The collection includes a broad range of examples of tea infusers, wine labels, vinaigrettes, card cases, salt and sugar spoons, as well as less common objects such as moustache guards, ribbon threaders, medicine spoons and a bezoar stone holder.
“The collection has been assembled over a long period of time with a keen eye for quality and eclecticism,” continued Slingsby. “Several pieces have curious stories behind them, while others are just beautiful examples of objects that may now seem redundant but were once in everyday usage.”
Over 300 lots are included in the collection which is expected to fetch in the region of £250,000.
