Description
The Swiney Prize an Artificers Guild silver cup and cover designed by Edward Spencer, domed foot, supporting faceted, swollen body, the domed cover with applied foliate frieze and surmounted with justice figural finial stamped marks, London 1928, 35cm. high
Literature
Apollo 1995 The Swiney Prize 150 Years of Goldsmith's Work this cup illustrated.
Catalogue Notes
George Swiney (c. 1786 - 1844), a Scot and doctor, founder both the Swiney Prize for Jurisprudence of the Society of Arts & Commerce and the Swiney Lectureship in Geology of the British Museum. The cups were made after a design by Maclise by Garrards every five years for 70 years - they were in German Renaissance style. In 1919 for the 75th anniversary of Swiney's death the cup was made by Charles Welch after a design by Mervyn Oliver.
In 1929 the cup was designed by Edward Spencer at the cost of £75. Two of the drawings for the cup are in the collection of Goldsmith's Company (one illustrated by Thompson) - description lower section of the body is chased with scale pendants and plain concave panels above. The cover which reflects the foot is bordered by embossed leaves and centred by four scroll brackets supporting a figure of Justice. Mark: Artificers' Guild and London hallmarks for 1928. Lent by RSA for exhibition in Oxford in 1928, before being awarded to Professor Sidney Smith MD for his publication Forensic Medicine. In 1934 the cup was designed by Lutyens.
Provenance
Roy Davids