English, early 19th century

each weathered panel with finely carved flanking dolphins and depicting respectively: the commemorative inscription within an oval cartouche; a relief carving of HMS Victory; a cartouche of laurel wreaths with protruding trophies; and a seated figure of Britannia with a lion, the latter two panels cracked down the middle.

The alabaster urn which surmounted the plinth is included in the lot but broken in three pieces due to weathering.

Alexander Davison Esq., St. James's Square, sold 21 April 1817, lot 715

Very poor condition with large cracks, sections missing and overall wear. We would strongly advice viewing before bidding.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The recently-identified Trafalgar Urn is a relic of the remarkable relationship between Nelson and his agent, and closest civilian friend, Alexander Davison (1750-1829). The two men had met in Canada in 1782, forging a friendship that would only be broken by Nelson's death twenty years later.  At the time Nelson was a young, unknown post-captain on convoy duty during the American War whilst Davison was at the outset of a highly lucrative career as a military contractor. As Nelson's fame grew, however, Davison increasingly took charge of his friend's business and domestic affairs. He was appointed Nelson's prize agent after the battle of the Nile in 1798 and again after the battle of Copenhagen three years later. By way of thanks for this profitable appointment, and to bind himself closer to Nelson's "Band of Brothers" for whom he arranged the famous "Egyptian Club" swords and dirks, Davison lavished gifts on his friend. Many of these appeared at the sale of Davison's collection at Sotheby's, London in October 2002. Davison also used his vast fortune to build a spectacular art collection by patronising many of the leading artists of the day including Benjamin West, Richard Westall and David Wilkie. Perhaps the single most important painting he owned was The death of the Earl of Chatham by John Singleton Copley (now in the Tate Gallery, London). Among the artists Davison regularly entertained at his mansion in St. James's Square in London were the sculptors Joseph Nollekens and John Flaxman. It was therefore unsurprising that when Nelson wished to commemorate the death of his colleague Captain Ralph Miller with a monument in St. Paul's Cathedral, he gave the task to Davison, who commissioned Flaxman.

Davison was sorely disappointed not to be appointed the prize agent for the battle of Trafalgar, privately ruing the death of his famous client although there are signs that Nelson had already decided to give the task to a rival agent. Accordingly, Davison's commemorations were more muted than they had been after the Nile when he had ostentatiously presented a medal to every man who had fought the battle. Nevertheless, he gave medals to the men on board Victory and erected an obelisk on his estate in Northumberland: 'to the memory of private friendship'. A similarly intimate sentiment informed the ordering of an urn - a replica of the famous Warwick Vase - for his townhouse which he dedicated to 'the immortal memory of his friend'. Indeed, in the aftermath of the battle Davison badly needed some influential friends. Having already been convicted for electoral fraud some years earlier, he was again facing prosecution for defrauding the government in his contracting business; charges that returned him to prison in 1809.  On his release, with most of his fortune gone in fines and in fighting his case, Davison was forced to sell much of his magnificent art collection.  'The Entire Property of Alexander Davison, Esq.' comprised almost a thousand lots and took fourteen days to sell on the premises at St. James's Square in April/May 1817. Lot 711 was a marble bust of Nelson by Flaxman (now in the collection of the Ministry of Defence, London). Three lots later the urn appeared, with even greater fanfare:

A SUPERB STATUARY TWO-HANDLED URN (to the Memory of the late LORD NELSON) on a pedestal 7 feet high, richly ornamented in EMBLEMATIC DEVICES, and surmounted by the figures of NEPTUNE, AMPHITRITE, &c.

The urn then disappeared from sight for almost two hundred years.