URING excava i. is so only through bumps tions in March, and long usage, for it was D 1930, on the site originally circular, as are of an old plumber's shop all the other members in Newborough, Scar of the piece. borough, Yorkshire, a Age and contact with labourer's spade struck, the earth have given to it slightly scarred and a delightful patination brought to light the rare which none but the pewter candlestick illus greatest vandal would trated in No. i. contemplate removmg. That is all that IS I make no hesitation known of its history. It about that statement, for, came to me to be out-and-out advocate " vetted," and subse though I am for cleaning, quently found a safe where sheer corrosion is resting place in the concerned, I regard the collection of my fi-iend, removal of patination, Mr. Lewis Clapperton, pure and simple, as little c.A., of Glasgow. short of a crime. For It seemed probable, patination is merely a from the photograph coating, or skin, acquired which reached me before at the hand of time, the actual piece arrived, whereas corrosion is a that here was a dis disease, pitting like a covery of front - rank canker into' the metal importance. Subsequent itself. examination more than As with many early . , confirmed the good im pewter types, we have to seek the genesis of this pression created, and it :\0. I.-" SALT-BASED " CA;\DLESTICK EXCAVATED AT SCAR was therefore with very BOROUGH, YORKSHIRE, IN 19'0 CIRCA 1590-1 6 10 type across the English 7] IN. HIGH BE LONGING TO MR. LEWIS CLAPPERTON real pleasure that I was Channel, and there we able to send the advice: get some rays of light " Quite safe to buy at anything up to £ . . " upon our subject. By courtesy of the Authorities It represents one of the rarest of all pewter of the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum, I am enabled to candlestick types. So rare, indeed, that at the' time reproduce here, in No. ii., three of the" Heemskerk " my book, Old Pewter,' Its Jvlakers and Marks, was candlesticks, the history of which is as follows. In published, in July, 1929, I had not come across a the year 1596, an attempt to reach China by the single example worthy of illustrating, although since Northern Asian route was made by a Dutch expe then four or five have been brought to my notice. dition under the command of J acob van Heemskerk Some 7t in. high, this wonderful example has a and Willem Barendtsz. The expedition started from basal diameter of 5t in. Bruised and battered Amsterdam, but got no further than Nova Zembla, though it is, it is a treasure of a high order, and the where the winter was spent. Barendtsz perished, stem-knop, which appears to be of polygonal section, and the remainder managed to get back to Holland
105 • ~ _~ • __ _ ~_ ~~______. _~_ ~...... ,..,_. ______""- __ • _ . ~ _ _ _ ~_...,. - _ ~_--;;_ ~ -=..-0
The Connoissellr, with which is incorporated International Studio
only after incredible sufferings. A litter of objects as Jacobean candlesticks are in existence (vide Old was left behind, some in a very battered condition, Pewter,' Its NIakers and lvIarks, pp. 89-92), not one others showing only the ravages of wind and cold of the types discussed under Nos. i., iii., iv., xii., xiii. rather than the wear of legitimate use. and xv. was then available for me to illustrate there. Nearly three centuries later, in 1876, these relics Two of the other examples to which I have referred were discovered by a captain from Hammerfest and came to light some little while ago when Mr. Richard a certain Dr. Gardiner from Goring, Oxford, who Neate, of London, acquired a unique collection of returned them to Holland where these proud seventeenth-century examples which he described witnesses to an heroic effort found a safe and in a carefully reasoned article in the Book of Antiques, appreciative home in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. 1928, and to him I return my thanks for the photo .1 Amongst other interesting pewter articles, there graphs reproduced in Nos. ' iii., iv. and v. These, are some twenty candlesticks and many fragments. as stated in Mr. Neate's article, are in reality Placing the facts before my learned Continental tapersticks, not candlesticks, the tallest of them collaborator, NIr. Robert M. Vetter, of Amsterdam, (No. v.) being but 4i in., while that in No. iv. he wrote me as follows: "This type is known here is but 3i in. as Kraagkandelaar, i.e., ' collar-candlestick,' and occurs The more definite mouldings on the little treasures chiefly in brass. Most of these candlesticks date in Nos. iii. and iv. place them at a slightly later from circa 1600 or earlier, as may be demonstrated date than Mr. Clapperton's example, and probably from paintings and from the Heemskerk relics. that in No. iv. is slightly later than No. iii. One They existed in bronze in the sixteenth century, feels tempted to hazard the dates as follows: No. i., and are not infrequently met with." circa 1590-1610; No. iii., circa 1625; No. iv., circa Here, then, we have definite proof that this type 1635-1640. was firmly established in pewter before the end of Though not truly within the sequence of the the sixteenth century, further proof being afforded types under consideration, one must include Nos. v. by contemporary paintings. By way of circum and vi., for the evident inspiration which the latter stantial evidence, I may cite the fact that, whereas draws from No. iv., while No. v. is very interesting many examples of wha t are known to collectors in that with the large circular grease tray of the
,.
Xo. II.- THREE C.-\:<1DLESTICKS AB.-\:,{DOXED 1/\ NOV.-\ ZE~lBL-\ BY THE HEE}ISKERK EXPEDITION IN 1596 RIJKSMUSEml
106 Some Earl\' Pelete,. Candlesticks
"os. Ill., I V. A"O \·.-THREE T.-\PERSTICKS FRO:\[ THE COLLECT(O" Of )[It. R ICH.-\RD "E.-\TE "0. Ill. (31 I". HIGH) IS OF ABOl'T ( ~ , "D. [\'. (3l IX.) .-\SOl·l' 1635-1 6.U: \\-HILE " 0 . 'v' . (.l I".) (U, lll(" ES T HE L.\I{G E CI RCCL.\ ({ GREASE TR.\\' SEE'" 11': "0S. Ill. A"D \\"ITH THE OCT.\GO".\L B.\SE SEE" I" "0. n. .\1.1. THREE ARE OF THE" SA LT-B.-\SED ,. TY
foregoing t\'pes is a mal marks of the perio( gamated the octagonal \\'hereas it subscrib. base of type =:\ 0. VI., in every particular which latter is in the British traditions. Or collection of ~1r. \\-alter leels safe in placing Churcher, London. as /Jot later than the fir. An example from the quarter of the sevel collection of the la te ~1r . teenth centurv. Antonio d e =:\ m-a rro, In No. xv. is gi\-e F .S.A., of Broadway, a further example similar to that shown in similar type, some 8 il .\io. 111., but differing in height, a nd the san !i-om it materiallv at the period, from the coll e( junction of the stem with tion of Mr. Alfred I the grease tray, is given Yeates,F.S.A.,F.R.I.B.A at No. xii. of London_ An extremely rare a nd Yet another style whic graceful type is shown must be considered in No. Xll1., from the illustrated in No. xi' collection of Mr. Y1elvyn Ii-om the collection H. R ollason, of Lap \1rs. Carvick \Vebstc \\·orth. This fine piece of \1onkton. H ere ;1 is some 10% in. high . It leaning towards tL is twice marked within domed base has bee the bell with a small abandoned in favour ( touch, the type of letter one \I'ith splayed ou ing in \I-hich proclaims sides- a n eminently pra, its early d ate, and one tical, firmly se t an has little hesitation ll1 dignified accomplis I \-ouching for its British ment. This fine exam pi. on gm, for it is entirely "0. VI. -CAXDLESTlCK \\'(TH OCL\GOX.\L llASE SDULAH TO which is 1 I in. high all TAPERSTICK "0. \'" .-\"D OCTAGO:--1AL ,WCLDED COLLA R AT unlike the continen tal .J UXCTIO;.i Of SHoUT TO rOOT : \\-ALTER CH LT RCHER COLL. has a base spread
107 11 The Connoisseur, with which lS incorporated International Studio 8 in., bears the well known touch of Robert Again, Marten, of London, if we compare the' stems who was at work from of the three mea objects shown 1640 until his in Nos. IX., x. and death in 1674; so xi., what if do we we put the type between see? First, ill No. ix. 1650-1660 we cannot we see the stem be of a candlestick; very wide of the truth. second,. the same And now, what con inverted to form the clusions may be drawn stem of a. from the foregoing? ciborium (No. x.) ; and As finally, a preliminary, attention in No. xi., the same must be first called used twice-once to inverted-to a fact well-known form a tall to candlestick. all serious students, Is not the i.e., inference the old pewterers' habit obvious? of That the. using one mould for salt m No. xvi. several purposes owing was used for the base to their high cost. Now of a footed plate I if we compare the can vouch for, base because of the candlestick illus I persuaded the owner trated in No. vii. with to let me the have them salt in No. viii., we separated, are which he did at once struck by and so the had two resemblance be perfect and rare pieces tween the latter and in place of one, each the base of the former. more in teresting alone than in their No. VIl.-CANDLESTICK. conjoined state. BASE OF FROM THE SAME MOULD WHICH WAS PROBABLY COLLECTION AS THE SALT SHOWN MADE OF THE LATE BELOW (NO. MR. ANTONlO DE VII!.) NA VARRO, F.S.A. No. VIII.-SALT. ANTONlO FROM THE COLLECTION DE NAVARRO OF THE LATE CF. THE MR. BASE OF NO. VI!. No. IX.-DOMESTIC CANDLESTICK SIMILAR TO THAT MADE FROM USED FOR THE A MOULD STEM OF NO. X.
No. X.-A CIBORIUM. INVERTED-FROM THE STEM OF A WHICH IS A CASTING CANDLESTICK MOULD. CF. NO. IX. No. X!.-PRICKET TWO ALTAR CANDLESTICK CASTINGS FROM WITH STEM A SIMILAR MOULD. MADE OF
lOB Some Early Pelcter Candlesticks
:\0 . XII.-C.-\:\DLESTICK FRo:II THE COLLECTlOX OF THE L.HE ,,"0. XIII.-" ~lR. A:-,'TOXIO D E ;\A \'.-\RRO BELL-BASED" (10 ) IX.) EXGLI SH LATE SIXTEENTH (Co:IIP.-\RE :-,'0. 111 .\ :-,'0. XI\' OR E.-\RLY SEVEXTEEXTH CEXT. ~lR. il .-"TRUIPET-Fl.-\SED " (11 1:-1.) ~ L\DE BY ROI3ERT L H. ROLU.SOX ;{o, XV.- " ~l.-\RTE:-I (LO:-lDOXI CIRCA 16,,0,1660 :,ms. CARV BELL-B.-\.SED" (H IN.) :-,'OT L.UER THAX FIRST QU, ICK \\'EBSTER -\. RTER OF S [\-E:\TEE:-ITH CE:\T. }II<.. ALFRED B. YE.-\TES
From the foregoing it is easy to see how these discoveries such loose nomenclature urges me things were made to serve a double, and sometimes suggest the adoption of some more clearly defin a third and a fourth, purpose. And if, as I hope, titles. I think it \\·ill at once be conceded tl so much is prQ\-ed, may w e not infer that here, the only t\\'o possible candidates for the tel in the bases of the candles ticks illustra ted in Nos. i., B ell-based are those illustrated in Nos. xiii. a ii. (left and right), iii., xii. , xiii. and X\'., \\'e have xv. No. xi\', may surely be known, and \V ithe some sure indication of what the pe\I'ter salts of m entally confusing it \I· ith any other type, the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries Trumpet-based ; while those in Nos. i., ii. (l, were like in appearance ? Almost the first thought and right), iii.-\'ii. and xii. \\'ould find their m( which strikes one on looking a t these fine pieces is that fitting home under the title of Salt-based candi their bases \I'ere cast from salt-moulds, put to a second sticks, from which genen c title there IS, use. In our researches into pe..vter-evo lution, iVIr. course, nothing to exclude examples shown Vetter and myself are constantly coming up against Nos. xiii. and xv., too. insta nces of such things, for evidence of which one The d eep, saucer-like drip-trays in Nos. i. a1 quite often seeks in vain in one's own country. xiii ., each of \I' hich is fu rnished with a flat bri All the types shown in some ± in. in wid t Nos, i., ii . (right and left ), are almost identical, an iii. , iv. and xii.-xv. are bearing 111 mind th. roughly grouped b y salt was expensIve coll ectors under the all those days and but smz embracing term, Bell-base quantities were used, \I'OU candles ticks, and this has thev not both be eminent been good enough so tar, suitable as sal t- cellars on tl but 111 \-iew of recent " hordes" of their time
Xo. X\'l . -~; . \L T THIS \\'.-\S __ \1' OXE TDIE L'SED ,-IS THE BASE OF A fOOTED PL.-I I
109