The Royal Society: A George II Silver-Gilt Ewer and Basin, George Wickes, London, 1744

Probably Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707-1751);

Presumably sold after his death by his wife Princess Augusta (d. 1772).

Purchased by the Royal Society for presentation to James West Esq. in 1768

Partridge, London, 1994

Collection of Lord Harris of Peckham, sold

Christie's, London, 25 November 2008, lot 38

George Wickes Gentleman's Ledger, The Victoria and Albert Museum, vol. II, 1742-1749, folio 176 as:

1744 - May 3 To a Silver Gilt Bason & Ewer 78 4 14/2 55 8

To graving 2 coats 2 2 / To a case 1 5

The Royal Society, Minutes of the Council, Vol. V, 6 December, 1768, folio 363-364; Vol. VI, 7 January 1769, folio 1.

T. Schroder, ed., Silver at Partridge, Recent Acquisitions, London, 1994, p. 22-23 and front cover, no. 15.

The arms are those of the Royal Society. The inscription reads 'S. Regal Londini Jacobo West Arm. ob Quasturum bene et fideliter gestam d. D.' which may be translated as, 'The Royal Society of London presented this as a gift to James West Esquire for the good and faithful conduct of his fellowship.' 

The fact that this ewer was marked in 1744 indicated that the Royal Society was presenting in 1768 a second-hand piece of plate. This ewer and basin have been linked with the entry in Wickes' Ledger for 1744, for a gilt ewer and basin, acquired by Wickes' highly important patron Frederick, Prince of Wales.

On 27 October, 1768 James West was made vice president of the Royal Society. The Minutes of Council of 6 December, folio 363-4, note:

'A motion was made and seconded that.. a present should be made to James West Esqr of a piece of plate of the value of twenty-five Guineas, with the Arms of the Society engraved upon it.

The Minutes of Council of 7 JULY 1769 go on to say:

'The Treasurer showed the council the piece of plate intended for the present of the late Treasurer. (in pursuance of an Order of Council on Decr 6 1768) being - a bason [sic] and ewer of the weight of 78 ounces, with the Arms of the Society engraved on it, and the inscription as directed.'

West (1703-1772) was a politician and antiquary. He married Sarah Stevens in 1738 and was MP for St Albans 1741-1768 and for Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, until 1772. He was elected a Fellow both of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Royal Society in 1726 while still a student of the law, and acted as the Royal Society's treasurer for thirty-two years from 1736. He was made a vice-president of the Society on 27 October 1768, then on 30 November of the same year he was elected president due to the untimely death of the President, a post he held until his death in 1772. After his death his effects were sold by Langfords of Covent Garden in a sale entitled 'A catalogue of the large and justly admired museum of curiosities of James West...together with his large and superb service of plate amounting to about six thousand ounces'. The sale seemingly did not include the current lot.