{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O313109"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313109/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FK1084/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FK1084/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2012FK1084","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FK1091","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AD1406","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KY7217","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O313109/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O313109","accessionNumber":"A.121-1956","objectType":"Relief","titles":[{"title":"William Pitt and Elizabeth Windham","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This may be an ivory commemorating the marriage of William Pitt, the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham with Elizabeth Windham in 1736. The back is inscribed 'WILL. PITT. ARMIG. [armigerous]/ ELIZ WINDHAM./1736'. The male subject wears a panther skin, perhaps suggesting Dionysian undertones. However the literature on William Pitt, the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham, contains no reference though to a marriage earlier than the one with Hester Grenville in 1754. Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Wyndham and sister of Charles, second Earl of Egremont, was in fact married in 1749 to George Grenville (b. 1712; d. 1770), the Statesman. It is possible that the William Pitt represented is not Chatham but a contemporary of the same name. Burke's Peerage of 1880 under Lord Rivers records a William Pitt who died without issue in 1774. He was the eldest son (by his second marriage) of George Pitt, M.P. of Strathfieldsaye, who died in 1734. The authorship of this finely carved piece is unknown. It is in the tradition of the works of David Le Marchand, and may be by a Continental sculptor working in Britain.","physicalDescription":"William Pitt and Elizabeth are facing each other in profile with a beribboned fir cone between them. Incised on the reverse.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ivory","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2012FK1084","2012FK1091","2006AD1406","2018KY7217"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"111","id":"THES49918"},"free":"","case":"DU1","shelf":"DR5","box":"3"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Relief","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1736","earliest":"1736-01-01","latest":"1736-12-31"},"association":{"text":"dated","id":"AAT54714"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"5.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'WILL. PITT. ARMIG. ELIZ. WINDHAM / 1736'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"inscribed on the back"}],"objectHistory":"Given by Dr. W. L. Hildburgh, F. S. A., 1956. Bought from him at Sotheby's for £11, on 3 November 1955, lot 13. from a collection of ivory portrait medallions belonging to S. Hand Esq., deceased. Said to have been formerly in the Pitt Rivers Collection, which was that of General Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pit Rivers (1827-1900), though it does not appear to have been listed in his manuscript catalogue. It was catalogued at Sotheby's as follows: lot 13: An interesting plaque of William Pitt and his young wife Elizabeth Windham in the year of their marriage 1736, superbly carved in full relief, both heads facing each other......., inscribed on the back.","historicalContext":"The literature on William Pitt, the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham, contains no reference to a marriage earlier than the one with Hester Grenville in 1754. Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Wyndham and sister of Charles, second Earl of Egremont, was in fact married in 1749 to George Grenville (b. 1712; d. 1770), the Statesman. It is possible that the William Pitt represented is not Chatham but a contemporary of the same name. Burke's Peerage of 1880 under Lord Rivers records a William Pitt who died without issue in 1774. He was the eldest son (by his second marriage) of George Pitt, M.P. of Strathfieldsaye, who died in 1734.","briefDescription":"Relief, ivory, portrait of William Pitt and Elizabeth Windham, British, dated 1736","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Tardy, <u>Les Ivoires</u>, Paris, 1966, p. 120"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Trusted, Marjorie, <u>Baroque & Later Ivories</u>, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 149\r\n\r\n"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Pitt, William","id":"N11285"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.121-1956"],"accessionNumberNum":"121","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1956,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-22","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":false}}