Attributed to John Nost I (fl. 1677-1710) and Workshop British, early 18th century

Possibly the Elton family, Avishays, Devon, United Kingdom, until 1858;
certainly the Elton family, Widworthy Court, Honiton, Devon, United Kingdom, until 1956;
by descent to Group Captain N. W. David Marwood-Elton D.F.C, Lostwithiel, United Kingdom;
sold Bonhams, London, 23 May 1996, lot 280;
there acquired by the present owner

The overall condition is good. The lead figure has overall even weathering to the surface consistent with having been displayed outdoors as originally intended. The general weathering includes numerous surface abrasions and dents to the surface, notably on the right side of the chin, end of the nose and back of the head. The polychromy on the feather skirt is largely worn at the front of the figure but has remains of red and white paint on the right side and on the back. There is an old repair to the thumb on the proper right hand. The right leg shows some misshaping. The sundial is 19th century. The support on which it stands may be artificial stone and there is a slate plate underneath; both are probably contemporary with the sundial.
"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."

John Nost was one of the most innovative sculptors active in England at the beginning of the 17th century. He is best known for his design and manufacture of lead garden sculptures, which were in high demand amongst aristocratic families throughout England. Nost was a native of Malines, Belgium, and although nothing is known of his early life and training, it is clear that he arrived in England some time before1686. He initially trained under the celebrated Dutch sculptor Artus Quellinus (1653-1686), whose widow Nost subsequently married. Nost quickly established himself with influential patrons, and in the 1690’s he created works for the Duke of Devonshire, the Tower of London, and was commissioned to produce statues of King William and Queen Mary for the Royal Exchange. With these profits he purchased a property on Hyde Park Road where he located his business in 1699, which the Nost family owned and ran until 1737 when it was taken over by John Cheere.

Many of Nost’s sculptures have regrettably been lost. The present finely cast lead is consequently rare. By 1700, Nost was working extensively for Hampton Court Palace. In September 1701 he is recorded as having been responsible ‘for modelling a figure of a Blackamore kneeling being 5 ft high holding up a sundial’ and then for ‘casting the said Blackamore in hard metal and repainting’; this sculpture was later installed at Hampton Court (Roscoe, op. cit., 913). Nost's work at the palace brought him to the attention of his most important patron, Thomas Coke of Melbourne Hall. Coke’s many purchases from Nost included the monumental Vase of the Four Seasons, baroque figures of Andromeda and Perseus, and a cast of the present Blackamoor forming a pair of kneeling slaves. 

The present sculpture relates to the Melbourne Hall cast, which is still in situ. It is comparable in its finely executed anatomy, the sharpness of the casting, and the similarly conceived bases. John Cheere also cast lead versions of the present model. However, whilst his Blackamoor is nearly identical, the treatment of the hair differs greatly. Davis (op. cit.) explains that Cheere’s Blackamoor was simply cast with a bald head, the hair formed by chasing with a characteristic spiralling punch, while Nost’s figure was cast with a full head of hair. This characteristic firmly places the present sculpture into the oeuvre of the Nost workshop. Its fine quality meanwhile, together with the correspondences with the Melbourne Hall cast, would indicate that it dates to the period that John Nost I was overseeing production.

The sundial surmounting the present blackamoor is inscribed for Matthew Murch, a watch and clockmaker listed as working in the High Street, Honiton, Devon, in partnership with John Murch from 1823 until 1830 and then alone between 1838 and 1856. The dial was clearly replaced by the Elton family, who are known to have owned the Blackamoor and were resident near Honiton in Devon. A charming photograph from circa 1900 shows female members of the Elton family sitting by the Blackamoor when it was at Widworthy Court, Honiton (see fig. 1).

RELATED LITERATURE

Lord J. Kerr, Melbourne Hall. An Illustrated Survey of the Derbyshire Home of the Marquess of Lothian, Derby, 1953, pls. 26, 28, 29; M. Whinney, Sculpture in Britain 1530 to 1830, Harmondsworth, 1964, pp. 59-62; H. M. Colvin (ed.), The History of the King’s Works Volume V 1660-1782, London, 1976, p. 173; J. P. S. Davis, Antique Garden Ornament. 300 Years of Creativity: Artists, Manufacturers and Materials, Woodbridge, 1991, pp. 26-35 and 48-51, pl. 1:13; I. Roscoe, A Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain 1660 to 1851, London, 2009, pp. 913-915; ; P. Eyres (ed.), ‘The Blackamoor and the Georgian Garden. A study of garden statuary in the contexts of commerce and empire, with particular reference to Hampton Court, Melbourne Hall and Wentworth Castle (among numerous other sites)’ New Arcadian Journal, 69, 2011, pp. 18-22, 41-43 and 53-56