A Louis XVI entrée dish with cover and a pair of second course dishes from King George III’s Royal Hanover service, Robert-Joseph Auguste, Paris, 1783-1784

Commissioned by George III, King of England and Elector of Hanover, for his German domains;

George IV, King of Great Britain (1820-1830);

William IV, King of Great Britain (1830-1837), thence by descent to his brother;

Prince Ernst Augustus of Great Britain (1771-1851), Duke of Cumberland and later King of Hanover after 1837, thence by descent to his son;

George V Hanover, 2nd Duke of Cumberland (1851- 1866, died in 1878), thence by descent to his son; Prince Ernst Augustus, 3rd Duke of Cumberland, (1845- 1923), thence by descent to his son;

Prince Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1887- 1953), thence by descent;

Sold privately by the family at the beginning of the 20th century;

Christie's, Paris, 4th November 2015, lot 500.

Y. Carlier, "Le service d'orfèvrerie de George III d'Angleterre", Versailles et les tables royales en Europe, Versailles, 1993, pp. 330-333.

L. Seelig, Münchner Jahrbuch der bildenden Kunst, LXVII, 2007, p. 141-207.

L. Seelig,' The King George III silver service by Robert-Joseph Auguste and Frantz Peter Bundsen: goldsmith's art in the neoclassical style in Paris, London and Hanover', Silver Society of Canada, Vol. 13, 2010 pp. 44-91.

L. Seelig, 'The Dinner Service made for George III by Robert-Joseph Auguste and Frantz-Peter Bundsen: neo-Classical goldsmiths' work in Paris, London and Hanover', The Journal of the Silver Society, no. 28, 2012, pp 76-100.

M. Bimbenet-Privat, "Terrines et flambeaux du service de George III d'Angleterre et de Hanovre", Décors, mobilier et objets d'art du musée du Louvre, de Louis XIV à Marie-Antoinette, Paris, 2014, pp. 497-499.

George III of England (1738–1820), born in England, also ascended the throne in the Kingdom of Hanover on the death of his grandfather. To adorn the table of this German court, which he never visited, he commissioned a grand silver table service in the 1770s. A learned and cultured sovereign, he wanted the service to reflect contemporary tastes and adhere to the ceremonial protocols of the French-style service prevalent at the time. Such a service included tureens, pots-à-oille, and cloches to keep dishes warm at the centre of the table.

Silversmiths from Hanover, Vienna, Rome, and Paris were tasked with the project, but Robert-Joseph Auguste won the commission in 1776 after intense negotiations and detailed instructions from the king himself regarding the service’s design and execution. The service embodied the neoclassical style, featuring fluted decoration adorned with laurel leaves and large sculpted figures, a specialty of Auguste, who had trained as a sculptor. The first delivery, in 1777, included items such as wine coolers and oil cruets. The Hanover chamberlain opted to have all pieces copied by a local silversmith, Frantz Peter Bundsen, at a lower cost while using high-purity silver to closely resemble the French originals. Wary of these actions, Auguste delayed delivering the most significant pieces, such as the tureens, until 1780, after receiving partial payment. The final delivery, completed in 1785, included dishes, cloches, and warming stands, likely including the pieces presented here. In its entirety, the service was designed for seventy-two guests and weighed over 400 kilograms of silver.

In the 19th century, the service was moved to England via Saint Petersburg to escape the Napoleonic invasion. An article from The Gentleman’s Magazine describing a dinner at Windsor, titled Their Majesties’ Grand Fete at Windsor Castle, called it likely the finest service in Europe. After Napoleon’s fall, Hanover became a kingdom, and the service returned to the royal castle. It remained there until 1866, when it was buried to protect it from looting during the Austro-Prussian War. The deposed King of Hanover went into exile in Austria with the service, which was later sold in Vienna to the dealer Gluckselig, who sold part of it to Alphonse de Rothschild (1868–1949). Other pieces were dispersed through private and public sales in the 20th century. Over thirty-five pieces are now held at the Louvre Museum, and a significant portion is at Waddesdon Manor, following acquisitions in 1982 and 2002. Candelabra are also preserved at the Getty Museum. Silver cutlery from the service has recently appeared at auction, including a set of flatware at Christie’s, Paris, The Onzea-Govaerts Collection - curated by Axel Vervoordt, 27 March 2025, lot 17, and a pair of candelabra, Sotheby’s, London, The Personal Collection of the Late Sir John Hotung, part II, Evening, 7 December 2022, lot 31.