Silver Medals

Sinclair and Raye Heather Chen acquired their first piece of antique silver soon after they married. “We were in Hong Kong, strolling hand in hand, when we saw this beautiful silver box for sale. We loved it, so we bought it,” Mrs. Chen said.They did not plan to make a collection, but gradually their silver treasures grew. “We both love the arts: museums, history, culture. Collecting silver was something new that we did together.”The Chen Collection, now numbering 500 pieces, focuses on museum-quality Russian and English silver, with an emphasis on craftsmanship. Its stars are Fabergé, Paul de Lamerie, and Paul Storr, three of the greatest names in the pantheon of silversmiths.The collection, on view at the Forbes Galleries from October 6-12, will be sold later in London. The 18 lots by de Lamerie and as many by Paul Storr and his contemporaries are a rare salesroom event, one of the largest selections of their work to appear at auction for years.How can Mrs. Chen bear to part with it? “We are in the autumn of our lives and have been fortunate to enjoy it, live with it. One is only a caretaker, so we want to pass it on to others.”Once they got into their collecting stride, the Chens went for quality. If pieces had a royal connection, so much the better. Here the Coote candelabras are tops: a pair of elaborate Regency silver-gilt seven-light candelabras adorned with winged sphinxes and female caryatids (estimated to sell for between $200,000 and $240,000), they match a set of four in Queen Elizabeth II’s collection.A distinguished aristocratic provenance, complete with inscription or crest, also ups the price. De Lamerie’s exquisite 1730 tea caddies are engraved with the arms of the Third Duke of Marlborough. Four George III candlesticks by Paul Storr were made for the First Earl of Lonsdale, while a fabulous tray from 1805 carries the arms of His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cumberland, brother of George IV. Sculptural in character, made for display, each vine leaf and bunch of grapes individually cast and finely tooled to a jewel-like surface, then painstakingly soldered one by one onto the scrolling border, it is the epitome of grand Regency bling.De Lamerie (1688-1751) was famous in his lifetime, running the most successful silver business in London. The British silver expert Tim Schroder said: “He was particularly well-known for his spectacular display silver, and among his lots for sale are virtuoso sauceboats and tureens in exuberant rococo style.”Paul Storr (1771-1844) took over the management of the Royal Goldsmiths in 1807. At its peak, the shop employed 500 people. The firm’s greatest coup was winning the patronage of the Prince of Wales, who was the last word in extravagance. Most of his commissions remain in the royal collection, but the prince had six brothers, and all emulated his taste. A set of 1814 filigree wine coasters is one example of items here embellished with the royal arms.Bankers, admirals, and public bodies also patronized the best silversmiths. Admiral George Anson circumnavigated the globe in 1740-44, capturing a Spanish bullion ship on the way. The booty enabled him to become a major patron of de Lamerie, who made him some fine silver serving dishes in 1746 (estimated to sell for between $14,000 and $18,000).In comparison to pure English silver, Russian silver is very colorful, and it was this aspect that attracted the Chens. Their Russian collection includes 25 unusual Fabergé items, such as a spherical, silver-mounted sandstone match-holder made in Moscow, or a cloisonné enamel kovsch (drinking cup) enameled in blue and gray, with stylized elongated handle (estimated to sell for between $30,000 and $40,000).Mr. Chen’s favorite Russian item is a 1890 cloisonné tea service by Pavel Ovchinnikov, a master in the difficult and fragile process of enamel work, who received the Russian Imperial warrant in 1883. The rectangular teapot and jug are decorated with delightful frogs, cranes, swans, cockatoos, butterflies, swallows, and flowers, while the spoons are fig-shaped. It was a gift from Nicholas II to a previous owner; it’s estimated to sell for between $120,000 and $160,000.Fedor Ruckert, another big name in Russian silver, made Mrs. Chen’s favorite piece, a velvet-lined wedding casket. With Russian rubles now playing a big role at auctions, many of these pieces may be returning home.The sale is run by Lyon & Turnbull, Scotland’s oldest auction house, founded in 1826, which re-launched in 1999 in alliance with America’s oldest auctioneers, Freeman’s of Philadelphia. The auction takes place in London at the Caledonian Club, Belgravia, on November 23.Forbes Galleries, 60 Fifth Ave., between 12th and 13th Streets, New York, NY, 212-620-2200.

Silver Medals

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