Frederick, Duke of York: A pair of Louis XVI silver cloches, now mounted as a supper service, Henry Auguste, Paris, 1788

with lobed borders, the tops chased with overlapping leaves from which rise leaf and fruit handles, each engraved on one side with English Royal Ducal arms, other arms on the reverse, repeated on the oval Sheffield plated heater base.

Frederick, Duke of York (1763-1827) and probably his sale
Christie's London, March 19, 1827, lot 45 part
Hardinge family
Mrs. Antenor Patiño, New York
Sotheby's New York, The Collection of Mrs. Antenor Patiño, November 1, 1997, lot 127

as noted re: date of handles, the unmarked cover with a small hole under finial for an aligning pin, now ragged, otherwise good some rubbing to borders or warming stand and dishes a little rough
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The dish covers on this lot formed part of an extensive service that Frederick, Duke of York (1763-1827), second son of George III, ordered from the French silversmith Henry Auguste in 1789.  In 1788 Henry Holland began remodeling Dover House in Whitehall for the Duke, and avant-garde French silver would have perfectly suited Holland's Francophile interior.  The Duke's sale in 1827 reveals that the service included eight circular tureens, eight oval tureens, twelve candelabra (a pair of which are now in the Metropolitan Museum), and thirty candlesticks. 

The covers are still topped by the "disk of chased foliage" that characterized the French service, but the original serpent handles have been replaced by foliate ones matching the elaborately-chased service delivered for the Duke in 1823 by Edward Farrell.  The Duke's tastes had grown ever more florid, and spare French neoclassicism was replaced by this date with densely-chased vegetables on matted grounds; examples of the entrée dishes and covers with this finial were sold Christie's New York, October 27, 1992, lot 231, and a sauce tureen in the same rooms, April 21, 1998, lot 164.

The non-Royal arms are those of Hardinge of Boundes Park, co. Kent, baronets.