{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156732"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156732/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CC6302/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CC6302/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CC6302","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CC6306","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CC6305","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CC6304","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CC6303","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CC6301","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O156732/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156732","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.613-2008","objectType":"Andiron","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Andirons, or fire dogs, supported the logs in a fireplace. They were normally made of brass or iron, and silver ones were a great luxury. It is not known who originally owned this example (one of a pair), but in the 19th century they belonged to the Duke of Sussex, brother of George IV. He altered their design and added the lions at the bottom.\r\n\r\nLarge sculptural objects for display had long been an important feature of aristocratic and princely silver. But in Restoration England many commented with disapproval upon the extravagance of the latest fashion (imported from France) for massive silver furniture, chandeliers, wine cisterns and other heavy types of plate. Impressive and monumental Baroque silver of this kind had a particular appeal for Arthur Gilbert.\r\n\r\nSir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since.","physicalDescription":"Each andiron base is formed from a double volute, with two paw feet. The front of the base is chased with rosettes, scrolling foliage, and a floral swag on a matted ground. The lower part of the baluster plinth above is decorated with applied foliage calyx, like the sides. The plinth is fluted above and surmounted by a standing draped female figure. The couchant lion at centre on the base, along with the royal cipher of CR at the centre of the base, were added later when the andirons were owned by the Duke of Sussex, brother of George IV. A plain silver plate attached to the back is engraved with the crests of Brownlow and Cust and an earl's coronet.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Cooqus, Jean Gérard","id":"A8276"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"Originally supplied by Cooqus, the andirons were adapted in the early nineteenth century for the Duke of Sussex"},{"name":{"text":"Cooqus, Jean Gérard","id":"A8276"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"Made original stands for the andirons"},{"name":{"text":"Edward Farrell","id":"A6002"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"Edward Farrell refashioned the andirons in the early 19th century. Royal cypher CR representing Charles II bears Edward Farrell's maker's mark. The feet, baluster stands and figures were probably supplied by Farrell."},{"name":{"text":"Cooqus, Jean Gérard","id":"A8276"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"The stands bear the CG in cypher mark for J.G.Cooqus"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"}],"techniques":[{"text":"raising","id":"AAT237068"},{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"},{"text":"chasing","id":"AAT54016"},{"text":"tooling","id":"AAT53876"},{"text":"engraving (incising)","id":"AAT53829"},{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Raised, cast, chased, tooled and engraved silver and carved wood.","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[{"text":"Baroque","id":"AAT21147"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2009CC6302","2009CC6306","2009CC6305","2009CC6304","2009CC6303","2009CC6301"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"72A","id":"THES413998"},"free":"","case":"CA007","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"andirons","id":"AAT161848"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1670","earliest":"1665-01-01","latest":"1674-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"ca.1820","earliest":"1815-01-01","latest":"1824-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"Later additions made by Edward Farrell"}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"LOAN:GILBERT.614-2008","id":"O156733"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"46.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"23.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"13.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"3200","unit":"g","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured 24/05/24 IW","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Mark: CG in cypher","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Unidentified, Jackson, p.141; this is believed to be the mark of Gerard Jean Cooqus, son in law of Christian van Vianen"}],"objectHistory":"Provenance: H.R.H. Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, sale, Christie's, lot 85, June 22, 1843.  John, First Earl Browlow, Belton, Lincolnshire.  By descent to the Rt.  Hon.  Lord Brownlow, sale, Christie's, lot 23, May 29, 1963.  Sir Charles Clore, sale, Christie's, lot 48, November 28, 1985.  Purchased from S.J.  Phillips, Ltd., London, 1986.\n\nThis pair was on loan to the National Maritime Museum between 1979 and 1983 when they were on display in the Queen's House. That museum has a similar pair, (see references). \n\nThey are described as Pair of silver firedogs from the collection of King Charles II. Each has a base of scrolling pedestal form, supported by two paw feet with a seated lion projecting beneath. The pedestal is decorated with chased leaf and floral work, and the applied cypher 'CR' below a royal crown. Each is surmounted by a different fully-modelled draped female figure, mounted on a classical urn. An inscription inside the plain silver backplate reads: 'July 12th 1827. Two plates, two lions two figures made weighing 89 oz to screw on two vases of unknown assay'.The silver part has been mounted on an iron bar to hold logs in the fireplace. The firedogs are said to have been presented by Charles II to an ancestor of Sir Piers Mostyn Bart, and in 1938 they were sold at Christie's in the dispersal of the W. R. Hearst Collection.\n\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Raised, cast, chased, tooled and engraved silver and carved wood, London, circa 1670 with additions circa 1820.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Christie's Review of the Year 1962-1963</u>. London: Constable [et al.], p. 57"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Grimwade, Arthur.  'Two Great Royal Silver Sales'.  <u>Christie's Review of the Season 1975</u>. London: Hutchinson [etc.],  pp. 199-200"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Schroder, Timothy. <u>The Gilbert collection of gold and silver</u>. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1988, cat. no. 24, pp. 107-11.  ISBN.0875871445"},{"reference":{"text":"<u>Plate at Goldsmiths' Hall, London</u>, London, The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, 1960","id":"AUTH357095"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"This pair was on loan to the National Maritime  Museum between 1979 and 1983 when they were  on display in the Queen's House. That museum has  a similar pair: \n\r\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230117154429/ https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc- object-3448 "}],"production":"Maker's mark CG in Cipher (Jackson, p.141)","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"(Gallery 70, case 4)\r\n12, 14. Pair of andirons\r\nAbout 1670\r\n\nAndirons, or firedogs, supported logs in a fireplace. Normally made of brass or iron, silver versions were a great luxury. The Duke of Sussex, brother of King George IV, acquired these firedogs in the 19th century. He altered their design and added the lions at the base.\r\n\nProbably London, England\r\nSilver\r\nMuseum nos. Loan:Gilbert.613, 614-2008","date":{"text":"16/11/2016 - 20/03/2024","earliest":"2016-11-16","latest":"2024-03-20"}}],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.613-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"613","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"SG 226A"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.958"},{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"SG 122B"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.907"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2017JU8096","2018LC1771","2019LR5736","2019LV1113","2019LV9482"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-12","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}