A George III bronze sundial on a Coade stone pedestal late 18th century

the sundial with a plain scroll gnomon and engraved with a now indistinct coat of arms on a Coade circular stand ornamented with Virtuvian scrolls, paterae and garlands of husks, supported by three lion monodpodiae joined by a pierced undertier festooned with drapery, on a concave sided trefoil plinth decorated with fluting above a patera to each side

The bronze sundial is finely engraved but rather weathered and much detail is now indistinct and it seems impossible to identify the armorial. There are some unexplained screw holes adjacent to the coat of arms possibly suggesting that there may have ben another coat of arms positioned over the original one. There are minor characteristic chips throughout which do not detract particularly on all of the corners of the plinth. There has been some minor restoration to the underside of the upper bowl. There has been some weathering and discolouration consistent with the piece being outside. There is much crisp fine quality detail which makes this an exceptional piece
"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."

Eleanor Coade ( d.1821) opened her Lambeth Manufactory for ceramic artificial stone in 1769 near the King`s Arm`s Stairs on the Thames on a site occupied by Daniel Pincot and appointed the sculptor John Bacon as its manager two years later. She was employed by all the leading 18th century architects who included Robert Adam at Croome Court, Sir William Chambers at Somerset House and James Wyatt at the Pantheon in Oxford Street. From about 1777 she began her engraved designs, which were published in 1784 in a catalogue of over 700 items entitled A Descriptive Catalogue of Coade`s Artificial Stone Manufactory. The design for the present lot is shown in Alison Kelly, Mrs Coade`s Stone, 1990, p.184, see illustration. The` Grand Tour' and antiquites excavated in Italy and Greece were a great design source for these engravings. The present tripod is based on a Tripod excavated  from Herculaneum.

In 1799, the year she entered partnership with her cousin John Sealy, she issued a handbook of her Pedlar`s Lane Exhibition Gallery. The firm became Coade & Sealy from this date and following Sealy`s death in 1813, it reverted to Coade and in 1821 with the death of the younger Eleanor  Coade, control of the firm passed to William Croggon, who died in 1835, following bankruptcy.

Coade`s manufactures resembling a fine-grained natural stone, have always been famed for their durability.  It proved to be an extremely durable material, being a form of stoneware, the product being non porous, a large proportion of the clay having vitrified when fired at an extremely high temperature. Because of its ability to withstand weathering, it became an extremely popular medium for the manufacture of exterior architectural elements and garden statuary and garden ornaments. A plinth for a sundial of almost identical form to the present is illustrated in Alison Kelly, op. cit. p.205 at Audley End Essex, see illus..