A CHARLES II SILVER TWO-HANDLED CUP AND COVER ON MATCHING SALVER ON FOOT, THE CUP, MAKER'S MARK ONLY, HW, AN ESCALLOP BELOW, ATTRIBUTED TO HENRY WELCH, THE COVER UNMARKED, THE SALVER, MAKER'S MARK ONLY, IS, A ROSETTE BELOW, ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN SPACKMAN, BOTH OF LONDON, CIRCA 1680 |

the cup and cover chased with dense acanthus, the body engraved on one side with a coat-of-arms and on the other with a crest, both below a baron's coronet within plume cartouches, the underside of the cup with scratch weight: '14-7,' the cover with pomegranate finial, the salver on plain stepped spreading foot, the border chased with similar wide band of acanthus foliage enclosing an identical coat-of-arms below a baron's coronet within a ribbon-tied plume cartouche, the underside of the salver with scratch weight: '22'

Henry Capell, Baron Capell of Tewkesbury (1637/38-1696), thence to his widow,
Dorothy (1642?-1721) and then probably by descent until sold.
J. Pierpont Morgan by 1908
S.J. Shrubsole, New York, 2000

E. Alfred Jones, Illustrated Catalogue of the Collection of Old Plate of J. Pierpont Morgan, Esquire, London, 1908, p. 28, pl. XXIV

The underside of cup struck quite clearly with makers mark only. The tazza clearly struck with makers mark only to the leafed border. Fine original gilding. Lovely weight and gauge. Original crisp coats-of-arms. No obvious repairs. Very good condition throughout.
"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 arms are those of Capell impaling Bennet quartering Leman for Henry Capell, younger son of Arthur, 1st Baron Capell (1608-1649) of Hadham Hall, Little Hadham and Cassiobury House, Watford, Hertfordshire by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir Charles Morrison, Bt. He was baptised at Hadham Parva on 6 March 1638 and appointed to the Order of the Bath on 23 April 1661. He was M.P. for Tewkesbury from 1660 to 1681 and again from 1690 to 1692 and for Cockermouth from 1689 to 1690. In 1679/80 he was First Lord of the Admiralty and one of the Lords of the Treasury from 1689 to 1690. He was created Baron Capell of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire on 11 April 1692 and from May 1695 until his death on 30 May the following year he was Lord Deputy of Ireland. Capell was married in 1659 to Dorothy (1642?-1721), daughter and coheir of Richard Bennet of Kew Green, Surrey and granddaughter of the wealthy City merchant and mercer, Sir Thomas Bennet (1543-1627), Lord Mayor of London in 1603-04. In August 1678, John Evelyn visited Capell at Kew, the estate inherited from his father-in-law, which was later enlarged to become Kew Gardens. The diarist recorded that, ‘it is an old timber house, but his garden has the choicest fruit of any plantation in England, as he is the most industrious and understanding in it.’ Again in 1691, Evelyn observed, ‘Capell’s garden at Kew has as curious [ever]greens, and is as well kept as any about London . . .’ In fact, both Capell and his brother, Arthur, 1st Earl of Essex (1631-1683) were renowned gardeners.

For information on the attribution of the makers’ marks, see David M. Mitchell, Silversmiths in Elizabethan and Stuart London, London, 2017, pp. 336-337 (Welch) and pp. 440-401 (Spackman). The badly struck mark, HW, an escallop below, on the underside of the porringer appears to be a variant of the example illustrated by Dr. Mitchell from a pair of triform candlesticks, circa 1665-70, in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University. 

In addition to this porringer, cover and stand or salver on foot, J. Pierpont Morgan’s collection also included a similar group of silver-gilt porringer, cover and stand. This second porringer bears the maker’s mark IS, a pellet between and rosette below (John Spackman) and the London hallmarks for 1684. Its contemporary, unmarked companion stand or salver on foot is chased with a very similar broad border of dense acanthus leaves as on the stand in this present lot. (E. Alfred Jones, Illustrated Catalogue of the Collection of Old Plate of J. Pierpont Morgan, Esquire, London, 1908, p. 28, pl. XXIV)