Printed from Woolley & Wallis

Description

A late-Victorian Scottish silver and enamel medallion trophy,
by R and W Sorley, Glasgow 1897,
circular form with a pierced ribbon finial, one side a central enamel black poodle inscribed 'Presented to 'Zulu' by Alliance Assurance Company For Services Rendered 26th Dec 1897', to the reverse the engraved crest of Alliance Assurance, on a circular raised loaded foot, with a wooden plinth, height of trophy 8cm.

The medallion was originally presented by the Alliance Assurance Company to 'Zulu' a black poodle owned by Mr Montague W.Baird of Glasgow, which by its barking, drew attention at an early stage to a fire which had broken out in his house on the 26th December 1897, thereby saving the property from serious damage, reducing substantially the amount the claim for which the company was liable under its fire policy on the building.

This lot is accompanied by thirteen items of correspondence relating to this event, and includes handwritten letters from Mr Baird. One dated the 16th February to Mr Laurie, where he writes 'I am sending the particulars of the fine episode to my doggy friend and will mention that Zulu has been presented with a silver medal by the Insurance Co.'