A set of four George III silver entrée dishes and covers, Philip Rundell, for Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, London, 1821

Please note that the weight should read 330.6oz and not as stated in the printed catalogue.

The design of these dishes was used extensively by Rundell's from about 1816 to the early 1820s, most famously for the service owned by Harriet, Duchess of St. Albans. The Rundell's album in the Victoria and Albert Museum has a design for a sauce tureen which shows the characteristics of this group: a fluted body, the same handle as on these dishes and ruffled shell feet, sometimes spreading to oak sprays. Charles Oman attributes this drawing to Edward Hodges Baily (1788-1867). Born in Bristol, he moved to London in 1807 and became a pupil of John Flaxman, with whom he worked for over seven years, winning awards at the Royal Academy School. Flaxman has been providing designs for Rundell's since before 1809, and Baily joined the firm in 1815, serving under the sculptor William Theed, head of the design department. Theed died in 1817, but Baily was not officially named chief modeller until after Flaxman's death in 1826. One of the earliest examples of this pattern is a pair of wine coolers of 1816, with fluted bodies and oak spray handles, From 1817 to about 1821 it was used for the considerable service later engraved with the monogram of Harriet, Duchess of St. Albans. The actress Harriet Mellon retired in 1815 and married banker Thomas Coutts the same year; on his death in 1822 he left her among other riches "the service of plate…said to be the most valuable in any of the country", suggesting the service had been ordered by the new Mrs. Coutts was re-engraved on her second marriage. The service included at least eight entrée dishes of 1817 in this pattern. In 1821 the design was also used for a dinner service, including four entrée dishes and covers of this model, presented to Henry Russell by British Officers serving in India.