Beschreibung:

A rare and important enamelled armorial opaque twist cordial glass of Scottish interest, circa 1765Perhaps by Anthony Taylor the round funnel bowl with a solid base, painted in white and red with the crest of Wilson of Fraserburgh, an arm in armour, embowed, the hand grasping a sword, above a ribbon wreath, inscribed 'VENTURE and GAINE.' around the rim, the double-series stem with a pair of heavy opaque white threads around a gauze corkscrew, over a conical foot, 16.4cm highFootnotesProvenance Darell Thompson-Schwab Collection The crest on this remarkable glass is almost certainly that of the Wilson family formerly of Fraserburgh, near Aberdeen, who employed the motto 'Venture and Gain' and are known to have been merchants in the area since the late 17th century. Only three other cordial glasses from this set would appear to be recorded, including a pair offered by Sotheby's on 15 November 1994, lots 501 and 502 and again on 13 June 1995, lots 87 and 88. The third was sold by Christie's on 7 October 1996, lot 60. The style of enamelling belongs to a distinct group of enamelled glasses discussed by Simon Cottle, 'The Other Beilbys', Apollo (October 1986), pp.315-27. It is thought that some of these may have decorated in Scotland and could be the work of the Scottish enameller Anthony Taylor (1743-1803?), formerly of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and a contemporary of William Beilby Several related crested glasses exist in which the enameller has employed a similar limited palette of white and red. This includes a set of wine glasses for Bannerman of Elsick inscribed 'Pro Patria', illustrated James Rush, The Ingenious Beilbys (1973), p.75 no.41, one of which was sold by Bonhams as part of the Peter Meyer Collection on 1 May 2013, lot 65. The Wilson and Bannerman families were connected by marriage. Charles Bannerman (1750-1813), the youngest brother of Sir Alexander Bannerman of Elsick, 6th Baronet, married Margaret Wilson (1761-1836) in Aberdeen in 1785. Her brother was George Wilson (1751-1816), a prominent barrister of Lincoln's Inn and leader of the Norfolk circuit, who is buried in the Bannerman family grave in St. Cuthbert's Churchyard, Edinburgh. Related by marriage to distinguished physician Dr George Fordyce, he was a close friend of Sir Samuel Bentham in the 1770s, and subsequently Sir Samuel Romilly. His father, Patrick Wilson had been a collector of customs in Aberdeen who had spent some years living on St. Kitts in the West Indies and himself was a close friend of the Scottish poet, moralist and philosopher James Beattie. Both men were staunchly opposed to slavery and Wilson is mentioned in Beattie's Elements of Moral Science, Vol.2 (1793), p.63. It is highly plausible that this set of glasses was commissioned for either Patrick or his son George. The limited palette employed may also be associated with a set of Jacobite glasses painted with a portrait bust of Prince Charles Edward Stuart in red, white and blue, a set of glasses for The Beggar's Benison society in red, white and green, and several Masonic firing glasses in red and white. All are considered to be of Scottish origin and perhaps the work of Anthony Taylor see Cottle (1986), pp.315-27.