The Wanstead House Shields (Lot 36)
A monumental pair of George III silver-gilt sideboard dishes, after a design by Thomas Stothard, Paul Storr of Storr & Co., for Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, London, 1813 Estimate: £500,000 - 700,000
These are the only pair from the series of ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’ sideboard dishes created by the workshop of Paul Storr for the Royal goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, between 1813 and 1817. This monumental pair, made in 1813, was purchased by William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 4th Earl of Mornington (1788-1857) in 1814, most likely for the grande fête organised to celebrate the Duke of Wellington’s victory over Napoleon. Among the honoured guests at the fête was the Prince Regent himself who would have admired the dishes and probably decided to acquire his own version the year after, which still exist in the British Royal Collection today.

‘The Three Graces’, Edward Hodges Baily (1788-1867) (Lot 42) Estimate: £600,000-1,000,000
Edward Hodges Baily’s Three Graces (also referred to as The Graces) is one of the greatest English marbles of the 19th century. Representing the daughters of Jupiter, Thalia (youth and beauty), Euphrosyne (mirth) and Aglaia (elegance), Baily’s composition marks a subtle but distinct innovation from the canonical representation of subject created by Antonio Canova almost half a century earlier. The marble was commissioned for one of the most voracious collectors of contemporary statuary in Victorian England, Joseph Neeld MP (1789-1856), who filled his mansion, Grittleton House, with 35 works of sculpture by some of the leading artists of the day.

A Berlin K.P.M Porcelain Royal Münchner Vase (Lot 41) Estimate: £45,000 – 65,000
Commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia, as a gift to Friederike Karoline Wilhelmine of Baden, Queen Consort of Bavaria, possibly on the occasion of her 57th birthday in 1833, this spectacular vase is recorded in the King’s royal account books of the time. Superbly painted, most likely by Gottfried Wilhelm Völcker, an influential oil painter of flowers and fruit still lifes, the vase is decorated with a rich continuous band of flowers, including roses, passion flowers, hibiscus, lilacs, blue poppies and auriculas with leaf and foliage scrolls. Although it is difficult to be certain which palace this vase was originally sent to in the 19th century, the likeliest is Schloss Biederstein, which had been gifted to Karoline as a summer residence by her late husband, Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria.

A German Baroque Gilt-Brass Mounted Black and Gilt Lacquer Cabinet, Gérard Dagly, Berlin, circa 1695 (Lot 20) Estimate: £60,000 – 100,000
Almost certainly commissioned by Friedrich III, Elector of Brandenburg (later King Friedrich I of Prussia) for the Berliner Schloss, this previously unpublished lacquer cabinet is an important addition to the oeuvre of Gérard Dagly, perhaps the greatest master of European lacquer. The cabinet is also closely comparable to the extraordinary ensemble of furniture commissioned by the King for the Antikenkabinett in the Berliner Schloss – one of the most celebrated rooms in Germany in the 17th century. Elaborately lacquered in black and gold with Oriental motifs of exotic birds, flowers, foliage and rockwork, Dagly has adopted an asymmetrical disposition of the decorative elements, masterfully recreating the styles of the much admired Japanese lacquer of the time.

A Gold and Hardstone Portrait Snuff Box, Johann Christian Neuber, circa 1770 (Lot 30)
Presented by Frederick Augustus III, Elector of Saxony to the Danish envoy Christian Sehestedt Juul Estimate: £400,000 – 600,000 Created by Johann Christian Neuber, one of the most creative artist-craftsmen patronised by the Royal Court of Dresden, this exquisite box is one of the earliest recorded examples attributed to the crown jeweller and the first of the five surviving diplomatic boxes given by the Elector. Of oval shape, the lid is inset with a miniature portrait on ivory of Frederick Augustus III and decorated with clusters and garlands of forget-me-not flowers – a symbol traditionally of faithfulness and loyalty. It was given by the elector to the Danish envoyé extraordinaire Christian Sehestedt Juul and remained in the family since then.

A Queen Anne Silver Hanukkah Lamp, Samuel Edlin, London, Britannia Standard, 1711 (Lot 4) Estimate: £150,000 – 250,000
Dating from 1711, this is the second earliest recorded example of an English-made Hanukkah lamp, with the oldest known example, created in 1709, now in the London Jewish Museum. Used in intimate family circles whereby a light is lit each night for eight days during the annual Festival of Lights, Hanukkah lamps are often offered as a wedding gift to new couples. This spectacular example was possibly chosen by Reuben Sassoon, a prominent collector of Judaica silver, as a gift for his sister-in- law on the occasion of her wedding in 1875, before being passed through generations as a wedding gift within the Sassoon family until the current owner.