(Marks illustrated p. 405.)
(_At Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh._)]
The year 1746 is a notable one in Scottish history. In 1745 the Young
Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart, dear to memory in Scotland, landed.
“Charlie is my darlin’” was a forbidden tune at Balmoral as late as
the reign of Victoria. The entry of the Prince into Edinburgh in 1745
resulted in the defeat of Sir John Cope, and the victorious army
invaded England and reached Derby.
The year 1746 saw the Battle of Culloden and the defeat of the
Pretender. Here is a caster of these romantic days, days that find
expression in various romances--romances that are true to the life.
Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was beheaded on Tower Hill for his duplicity.
Many great Scottish families tried to sit on both sides of the fence.
One son went to the Hanoverian forces and the other to the Stuart
invader. Robert Louis Stevenson’s _Master of Ballantrae_ shows the
poignancy of the situation. But England held aloof in 1745. In 1715,
when the elder Pretender essayed to claim his own, England was
lukewarm, but in 1745 the House of Hanover had become deeply rooted and
no leniency was shown to the invaders.
The Edinburgh coffee-pot (illustrated p. 321), in date 1769, is a
delightful piece. It was made by Patrick Robertson; the marks are
illustrated p. 405. This was in the early George III period. In this
year was published the first of the “Letters of Junius,” an acrid
attack on the Government in the _Public Advertiser_ on behalf of John
Wilkes, the demagogue. This year saw the birth of English Radicalism.
Wilkes was elected as member for Middlesex for the fourth time, but
Parliament declared his opponent, Colonel Luttrell, at the bottom of
the poll, to be elected. The meaning of the motto “Wilkes and Liberty”
is thus understood.
This coffee-pot of those days claims recognition by reason of its
beauty of form. The spout with dragon head is graceful and original.
The handle, in ebony, follows the broken curves of the period, the
cone-top and the somewhat elongated foot and narrow base to the body
proclaim the contemporary style.
The tea-urn of 1778 (illustrated p. 325), also made by Patrick
Robertson, is marked with the castle of Edinburgh, the Thistle
standard mark, the date letter Z, and the maker’s initials P. R. It
is a beautiful piece in classic style, with fluted oviform body; it
is decorated at summit and base with acanthus ornament. It has flat
scroll handles with delicate beaded ornament. On tall fluted foot
with bold spreading terminals, it stands on square base decorated
with classic chasing. It is as classic as Princes Street, Edinburgh.
It is delightfully Scottish, and represents the northern Athens as
exemplified in the minor art of the silversmith. It is just prior
to the days of Sir Walter Scott, the “Wizard of the North,” who has
charmed Scot and southron alike by his magic spell.
[Illustration: TEA-URN. EDINBURGH, 1778.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account