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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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A very beautiful Regency sterling silver teapot by Philip Rundell, the body with embossed fruiting vine and tapering fluted and foliate spout, the hinged lid with a silver tipped ebonised fruit wood finial and ebonised fruit wood loop handle with curved thumbpiece, on a circular gadrooned foot London, dated 1821 Fully hallmarked. Height 13 cm, width 17 cm. Philip Rundell (1746-1827) built up one of Britain’s most important and successful silver manufacturing businesses, employing some of the most eminent craftsmen of his day. Both new and old silver, jewellery, objects of virtue and watches made up his vast stock at his London shop. By the 1820’s he had built up a vast enterprise with agencies in Paris, Vienna, St. Petersburg, Baghdad, Constantinople, Bombay, Calcutta and various cities in South America. His success was as much due to the endeavors of his main partner, John Bridge (1755-1834) as to Rundell’s own ruthless character and the beauty and quality of his merchandise. Rundell was born in Bath, where he served an apprenticeship as a jeweller before going to London in circa 1767. There he was employed at 32 Ludgate Hill, as a shopman at Theed and Pickett, a firm of jewellers and goldsmiths who took him into partnership in 1772. Following the death of Theed’s daughter, Rundell took the opportunity to purchase the sole ownership of the business, 1785-86. Soon after he took his fellow colleague, John Bridge into partnership and through the latter’s contacts, the newly styled firm of Rundell and Bridge was appointed as ‘Jewellers and Goldsmiths to the King’. The Prince of Wales, the Duke of York and other members of the royal family also granted the firm with a warrant. Then in 1805 Rundell took his nephew, Edmund Waller Rundell into partnership, whereupon the business was restyled Rundell, Bridge and Rundell. By this time they were one of the main manufacturers of quality silver plate, not only retailing their own wares but also pieces by other leading craftsmen, most notably Benjamin Smith Snr., Digby Scott and Benjamin Smith Jnr. Philip Rundell finally persuaded the master silversmith, Paul Storr (1771-1844) to join the firm in 1807. The following year he took on the sculptor, William Theed (d.1817) who had previously worked as a modeller for Wedgwood. When Theed died, Rundell took on another leading sculptor, John Flaxman (1755-1826). Unlike Theed, Flaxman was never a partner but was employed as the firm’s artistic advisor who designed and made models for the most important pieces, notably ‘The Shield of Achilles’, (British Royal Collection). The celebrated shield was made for the Prince Regent in 1821– the same year in which this beautiful teapot was also finished. It was not until after Paul Storr had left the firm in 1819 that Philip Rundell entered his own mark, thus this teapot which bears his stamp is relatively unusual since Rundell retired soon after, in 1823. He died four years later leaving a phenomenal fortune of about £1,500,000 to his nephew, Joseph Nield, (who in turn bequeathed his wealth to Queen Victoria). Rundell’s workshop continued operating up until the death of John Bridge in 1834. Thereafter the firm continued to commission silver from other manufacturers until it finally closed in 1843. http://www.richardreddingantiques.com/collection/silver/regency-teapot-by-philip-rundell |
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