Object Description
A superb quality French Porcelain-Mounted Champlevé enamel and Onyx Casket, circa 1870 in date.
The stunning casket is of of serpentine oval form. The hinged cover is set with a truly beautiful panel depicting Watteauesque figures within colourful foliate borders. The lid opens to reveal the original button backed silk lined interior and the casket is raised on ormolu bun feet.
Provenance:
Corby Castle, Carlisle, England
Lord and Lady Ballyedmond
Condition:
In good condition. As an antique item, the piece shows signs of use commensurate with age, these minor condition issues are mentioned for accuracy and, as seen in the accompanying photographs, it displays beautifully.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 13 cm x Width 30 cm x Depth 22 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 5 inches x Width 1 foot x Depth 9 inches
Corby Castle
One of Cumbria’s most historically important mansion houses, grade I-listed Corby Castle sits on a plateau, rising above the picturesque River Eden to the east of Carlisle. The Manor of Corby was granted to Hubert de Vallibus by Henry II and passed to Andrew de Harcia, Earl of Carlisle before being given to Richard Salkeld in 1336. The estate remained in the hands of the Salkeld family until it was sold in 1611 to Lord William Howard, the third son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. The house is built around a red sandstone peel tower, or fortified tower house, built in the 13th century; William Howard added a two-storied L-shaped house to the peel tower, and the house was once again modified in the early 19th century by descendant Henry Howard. Between 1812 and 1814, Scottish architect Peter Nicholson gave the castle a new rectangular plan and the harmonious neo-classical façade in the distinctive local red sandstone that graces the building today. Corby Castle remained in the Howard family until 1994, when Lord and Lady Ballyedmond, as new owners, began an inspired revival of Corby, giving new life to one of the great Cumbrian mansions.
Champlevé Enameling
A decorative technique that fuses a powdered glassy material into a recess in a metal surface through the application of heat.
Enameling describes the technique of using heat to fuse frit, powdered glass, to the surface of a metal object. In champlevé enameling, a recess is etched, cast, or carved into the body of the metal substrate to be filled with frit.
Enameling is one of the oldest decorative techniques seen across cultures, and it was embraced by designers in the nineteenth century
Our reference: A5057