A Gold and Ivory Presentation Snuff Box, John Northam, London, 1832
Auction Closed
October 16, 06:35 PM GMT
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
rectangular, the lid inset with an oval ivory miniature representing a country house, held by two raised putti and surmounted with a fleur-de-lys, on a matted ground, further decorated with floral scrollwork garlands, the slightly waisted sides engine-turned and set with a thumbpiece, the interior of the lid engraved with a presentation inscription reading: 'Presented / A. D. 1833 / By Meyrick Bankes / to his Guardian / Wm Hulton Esqre / as a token of Gratitude / for his kind attention / to the Interests / of his ward', fully hallmarked, in modern velvet-lined presentation case
Length 3 ⅜ in.
8.5 cm
This lot contains ivory. Commercial trade in ivory is regulated by multiple governments and international organizations around the world, including through prohibitions, restrictions, and individual circumstances and the relevant auction / sale. Sotheby's therefore recommends that, before taking any action in relation to a potential purchase or handling of an ivory item, buyers obtain advice on the regimes and requirements applicable to them. Sotheby's will also not conduct any applications for buyers for exemption certificates, CITES licenses, registrations, or similar that may be required, including renewal or update of the same, or arrange or import or export permits needed for international shipping. A buyer's inability or delay to obtain necessary documentation, or lawfully arrange the export or import of the lot will not justify sale cancellation or a delay in payment.
The miniature on the current lot is of Winstanley Hall, Greater Manchester. It was built in the late 16th century for the Winstanley family who sold it to the banker/goldsmith James Bankes (1542-1617) in 1596. Originally from Wigan, Greater Manchester, Bankes was apprenticed to a goldsmith in London with whom he later partnered after gaining his freedom. He invested in coal-bearing land around his home town and returned there himself around 1591. Winstanley Hall passed through the family to Meyrick Bankes (1768-1827) who was appointed High Sherriff of Lancashire in 1805. In 1810 he married his second wife Maria Elizabeth Brooke, eldest daughter of Thomas Langford Brooke, of Mere Hall, Cheshire. Their eldest son, also called Meyrick Bankes (1811-1881) was just 16 when his father died and was placed into the guardianship of the three executors in the will, one of whom was William Hulton (National Archives, London, PROB 11/1903/299).
William Hulton (1787-1864) was a landowner and collier in Lancashire. He was appointed High Sherriff of the county in 1811 and Chairman of the Magistrates in 1819. In these positions he gained a reputation for his tough approach to crime and political dissent. It was he who, in 1819, ordered the yeomanry cavalry to disperse the crowds in St Peter’s Field, Manchester, who had gathered to listen to speeches encouraging political reform. The cavalry became enmeshed in the crowd which itself was hemmed in by other regiments in the city square. The mounted soldiers panicked and began to slash indiscriminately with their sabres. The event, later known as the Peterloo Massacre, resulted in the deaths of around 15 people with more than 600 injured. Hulton was castigated by the local population and he consequently declined a safe parliamentary seat in 1820.
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