Description
Royal House Antiques
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely one of a kind Winsor & Newton 1977 Queen Elizabeth Jubilee presentation with sterling silver plaques and boxes Calamander wood Artist box
Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, for an accurate quote please send me your postcode and I’ll price it up for you
Where to begin, of its type this is the largest Winsor & Newton artist box you will ever see, its easily twice the size and weight of any I have come across, this was made as a presentation gift to Queen Elizabeth II on her Silver Jubilee in 1977, I have no IDEA if it was ever given to our good Queen as it doesn’t come with any paperwork, sadly Winsor and newton have donated all their historical archived data to the Hamilton Kerr Institute and at present they are waiting for funding to catalogue it all, once catalogued they will be able to tell the new owner the exact history of this piece
Now for this wonderful box where to begin, firstly as mentioned it is huge, the dimensions are below, this piece is exhibition size and quality throughout.
The box itself is Calamander wood, Winsor & Newton founded in 1832 have been making these types of boxes for well over 150 years, they were almost always allot more compact and designed primarily to be used on the go. The box is pinned in the corners with what looks like sterling silver nails and the sculptural hinges also look to be silver although I would imagine they are plated, the pièce de résistance of the box is the stunning 1977 Queens crown crested sterling silver Jubilee hallmarked plaque, it is a a work of art
Opening the box you find inside the lid a lovely water color template, running onto the first platform we find 6 numbered 100% cut crystal bottles, each engraved to the base with what looks like the Baccarat signature. The next row consists of 4 good sized sterling silver engraved boxes, two are original and bare all the same Jubilee sterling silver hallmarks, these hold inside sets of used and unused Carres Pastel crayons. The other two tins were missing so part of the restoration this lovely box went through was to have them made anew, Clive Burr at the Silversmiths college London undertook the project for me and the end result simply put is perfect. In between these silver boxes is a lovely pottery pot stamped to the base S inside a U, inside said pot is three natural sponges. The next row down has a sterling silver artists sharpener, a selection of 24 mixed watercolor tubes, there are two sliding removal shelves which house a total of 24 mixed brand new in the original packaging water color tabs, you have one custom-made to size tub with a yellow tab in
The first drawer houses five new old stock Winsor & Newton paint brushes, these aren’t the original brushes or perhaps they are but they were maybe used on the lower shelf. We then find four pottery mixing bowls silver leaf painted with the same hallmark S inside the U, in between these pots we have a pair of brand new in the original packaging Kneaded rubbers and a portable Winsor & Newton artist set with telescopic paint brush
The last drawer houses 16 new old stock Winsor & Newton artist brushes and then an absolutely magnificent original custom handmade Oxblood leather bound artist book, the book has handmade paper and the exact same size Jubilee Queen Elizabeth 1977 sterling silver plaque as the main box, it is mouth wateringly beautiful
So there you have it, a rather spectacular find and certainly the only one you will ever see, if you are in the market for simply put the finest example of this type of piece, I mean museum quality which is I’m sure will be where this ends up then look no further, this is the only one of its kind and will never be on the market for sale again
In terms of the condition as mentioned above I’ve had the piece restored, it was a light process that consisted mostly of cleaning, the silver plaque on top was removed and professionally polished by Clive Burr at the same time as him making the two matching silver boxes that were missing, the old boxes were also professionally polished to the same mirror finish as was the artist sharpener. The box itself is in fine condition, there is a very small piece of wood missing from the front left foot, you can hardly see it so I’ve left it as it is, I can have it sorted prior to dispatch for a small fee should the new owner wish
Dimensions
Height 18cm
Width 52cm
Depth 34cm
Details of the silversmith
Anthony Gordon Elson: born 1935 Worthing, Sussex.
Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. 1956 trained under Dunstan Pruden at Brighton College of Art where he received a diploma. 1960 to the Royal College of Art with a BA and Silver Medal for geometrical decoration in 1963 and in 1964 received a travelling bursary. Worked for William Comyns Ltd. 1964-68 where he was introduced to the production techniques that governed commercial viability. He went to Geneva and Tiffany’s factory in New York. 1968 bought Blunt & Wray, an old established ecclesiastical manufacturer which produced mainly brass church work but had a small silversmithing workshop.
By 1976 the company employed 25 producing Elson’s designs, the domestic silver production subsidising the ecclesiastical business. He aimed at mass production through retailers and a Fine jug (1972) and cigarette box (1974) in the Goldsmiths Company collection illustrates his work. With the decline of the ecclesiastical market and tough economic climate of the late 1970’s he appointed a liquidator in 1981 and this side of the business was sold to A E Jones in Birmingham. In the same year he formed Anthony Elson Silversmiths establishing a successful design and prototype workshop in Clerkenwell, London, working with freelance specialists, concentrating on individual silver commissions.
In 1979 he edited a book published by the NAG “A Silversmith’s Manual” by Bernard Cuzner. Elson has been the Chairman of the Council for Craft at the Goldsmith’s Company and also served on the Council of City of London Guilds. Many prominent commissions from the City of London, London Stock Exchange, City livery companies, universities, corporations, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral and the King of Nepal.
Has exhibited widely in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and the Middle East. His work can be found in many private and institutional collections. In 2002 he moved his studio and workshop to Sussex where he continues his commissioned work. He is currently developing a new technique to color silver with stunning results.
Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask
Any questions please feel free to ask before you bid
ABOUT US
Royal House Antiques is a privately owned family ran business founded in Wimbledon SW19 and now based in Pulborough RH20. We specialise in finding, restoring very fine luxury antique leather seating, along with every single other type of antique ranging from the 16th century to the 20th century. We also stock a number of designer brands such as Fritz Hansen, Ralph Lauren, Cavalli, Charles & Ray Eames, Vitra, David Linley, Rolex, Tiffany, Jager Le Coulter and so on
PAYMENTS
We accept payment via Bitcoin, Bitcoin cash, Ethereum, Bacs, Chaps, PayPal or Card, we would kindly ask that all items are paid for within 48 hours and collected within 7 working days, we can hold all paid items for 14 days free of charge, there after a £20 a week storage fee will apply. We have long term storage which is very economically priced, we are happy to hold stock for as long as needed providing it is arranged prior to the purchase
If sold items aren’t collected within three months and no arrangements have been made for long term storage you will forfeit the item and payment
CONDITION
Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description pertaining to the condition. Please also ask any questions before you bid and not after, all of our items are sold as seen and as listed
Royal House Antiques cannot be held liable for any independent assumptions made regarding the items we sell, if you are unsure on any point, please feel free to ask for clarity
Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of creasing and wear, we recommend annual waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade
IMPORT DUTY
Most countries charge some kind of import duty however almost all of our items won’t incur any charges as the items are exempt from tax due to the age and materials used
For European deliveries the price you will be quoted will include all clearance documentation and any customs charges so there won’t be any additional fees
For international deliveries such as the United States there can be some import duty to pay and or a clearance fee, I would estimate that 99% of all deliveries clear customs without being stopped for either
All duties are the responsibility of the purchaser who is the importer, they can’t be covered by the seller or shipping agent or factored in with additional retrospective discounts
RETURNS
Royal House Antiques offers a no quibble return policy if the item is not as described, if there are any issues with the piece you will be refunded in full once the item has been returned and inspected within 14 days, alternatively if there is a small issue, we can discuss finding a mutual resolution that makes all parties happy
We don’t offer a sale on approval service which means you can purchase the item, have it delivered and if you simply don’t like it, return it, this comes under change of mind or doesn’t fit. There is a lot of time, money and work involved in transporting goods around the world, the costs incurred can be vast so my advice would be if you are unsure on a piece please ask as many questions as you like to make sure you understand everything before you buy, if you are still unsure then please either arrange a viewing in person or if that’s not possible then don’t buy from an online retailer, perhaps look for a local gallery instead
