The Maharaja of Patiala's Banqueting Silver Service

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T H E M A H A R A J A O F PAT I A L A’ S

B A N Q U E T I N G - S E R V I C E



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THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN

~15AN EXTENSIVE GEORGE V SILVER-GILT DINNER-SERVICE

MARK OF THE GOLDSMITHS’ AND SILVERSMITHS’ COMPANY, LONDON, 1921

Each piece with a scroll and foliage border above cast and chased panels of animals,separated by cast daggers, variously engraved or cast with coat-of-arms, crown and initialsComprising:

A centrepiece

Four five-light candelabra

A pair of soup-tureens, covers and ladles

Two oval centrepiece bowls

Four circular centrepiece bowlsFour oval bowls

A pair of oval bowls

Three meat-dish covers

Four baskets

Twenty sauceboats and ladles

Eleven circular entrée dishes and covers

Six oval entrée dishes and covers

Thirty-seven soup-plates

One hundred forty-eight dessert-plates

One hundred eighty-three dinner-plates

Six oval meat-dishes

An eight hundred and fifty two piece table-service

Twelve oval meat-dishes

Six oblong meat-dishes

Three fish-dishes and mazarines

Six deep second-course dishes

Three circular salversSix salvers

Three coffee-pots

Three hot-water jugs

Three sugar bowls and tongs

Eighteen mustard-pots and spoons

Eighteen salt-cellars and spoons

Eighteen pepperettes

Forty-three finger-bowls

Six sugar-casters

Two cruet-stands

Twelve almond-dishes

£1,000,000-1,500,000 US$1,600,000-2,300,000Ç1,200,000-1,700,000

P R O V E N A N C E :

Commissioned by the Maharaja of Patiala in honour of a tour of India by Prince Edward, Prince of Wales,later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor, in 1922 and used at the State Banquet held in the Prince’shonour on 24 February 1922.Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala (1891-1938).Anonymous sale; Sotheby’s, Belgravia, 15 December 1977, lot 256.

L I T E R A T U R E : J. Culme, The Directory of Gold and Silversmiths Jewellers and Allied Traders 1838-1914, From the LondonAssay Office Registers, Woodbridge, 1987, vol. I, p. 184.

Total gross weight of weighable silver 15,547 oz. (482,572 gr.) (1,521)



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MAHARAJA BHUPINDER SINGH OF PATIALA

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala (1891-1938) was born at MotiBagh Palace and educated at Aitchison College. On the death of hisfather, Maharaja Rajinder Singh, on 9 November 1900 he succeeded asMaharaja of Patiala, though a Council of Regency ruled in his name untilhe took partial powers shortly before his 18th birthday on 1 October 1909,and was invested with full powers by the Viceroy of India, the 4th Earl ofMinto, on 3 November 1910.

Singh was actively involved in Indian politics and in representing Indiaon the world stage, for example serving on the General Staff in France,Belgium, Italy and Palestine in the First World War as an Honorary

Lieutenant-Colonel, later being promoted Honorary Major-General in 1918and Honorary Lieutenant-General in 1931. He also represented India at theLeague of Nations in 1925, and was chancellor of the Indian Chamber ofPrinces for 10 years from 1926 until his death in 1938. He married tentimes, having had 88 children by his wives and concubines.

This extensive service gives an insight into the lavish lifestyle of theMaharaja. His wealth and status was such that he was the first man in Indiato own an aircraft, for which the Patiala Aviation Club was founded. Heand his wife patronised some of the leading makers in the world, such asCartier, whom they commissioned to mount the De Beers diamond as thecentrepiece of the magnificent ‘Patiala Necklace’. Singh was also an avidand early motorcar enthusiast, indeed legend has it that he would travel in amotorcade of 20 Rolls Royces, however in 1930 he had a falling out with

Sir Bhupindra Singh, Maharaja of Patiala© National Portrait Gallery, London

Rolls Royce who he felt slighted him by refusing to accept an order. Suchwas his power and influence in India that a campaign by him forced theViceroy to pressure Rolls Royce to change their decision.

Singh was also an avid and talented cricketer, with him acting as captainof the Indian cricket team that visited England 1911 and again in 1932,although he was forced to drop out of the second tour for health reasons.

EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES’ VISIT TO PATIALA

The Prince travelled to Patiala by train arriving at 8.30 am on the morningof the 22nd February. He was met by the Maharaja and a large reception

party, the royal suite was then escorted by the State cavalry to the MotiBagh Palace through streets lined with people. The Times report at thetime commented on the scene, ‘...the road, with its lavish decorations, itselephants, and its gaily dressed throngs, was most picturesque.’ On his arrivalat the palace the Prince reviewed the troops and then, accompanied by theMaharaja, ventured out on his horse into the huge crowd with include some10,000 former soldiers who had served in the First World War. This partof the Prince’s tour was partly intended as a restful time for the Prince andafter the review there was no official timetable. The Maharaja entertainedthe Prince with polo matches, pig-sticking, and shooting. The dinners weresmall and the dances informal. Only on the last evening was a large eventheld. The State Banquet for 200 people, for which this dinner service wascommissioned, was a lavish send off for the Royal guest who departed forLahore by train at 11.00 that evening, following the dinner.



a.)A CentrepieceFormed as three bowls supported on shaped conforming stand, the flowerand foliage decorated feet applied with cast elephant’s mask, the handles of the bowls with cast lion’s masks, marked under bowls and under stand

the stand 45 in. (114.5 cm.) wide710 oz. (22,103 gr.)

b.)A Set of Four Five-Light CandelabraEach on four lion’s paw feet, the stands applied with cast elephant masks,each marked on foot, on central socket and on nozzles

26 in. (66 cm.) highgross weight 883 oz. (27,470 gr.)

c.)A Pair of Soup-Tureens, Covers and LadlesWith lion’s mask-capped handles, the detachable covers with quatrefoilogee loop handles, marked under base, on handle and on cover bezel

17æ in. (45 cm.) wide over handles306 oz. (9,522 gr.)

d.)Two Centrepiece-BowlsEach oval and with lion’s mask-capped handles and on four lion’s paw feet,each marked underneath

21Ω in. (55 cm.) wide and slightly smaller313 oz. (9,742 gr.)



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e.)A Set of Four Centrepiece-BowlsEach circular, with spreading foot and on fourlion’s paw feet, each marked underneath10Ω in. (26.5 cm.) diam.149 oz. (4,633 gr.)

f.)A Set of Four BowlsEach oval with lion’s mask handles, the base onfour lion’s paw feet, each marked underneath14Ω in. (37 cm.) wide145 oz. (4,504 gr.)

j.)A Set of Twenty Sauceboats and Sauce-LadlesEach oval double-lipped on conforming foot,

the scroll handles incorporating cast lion’s masks,each marked underneath8 in. (20.5 cm.) wide460 oz. (14,293 gr.)

g.)A Pair of BowlsEach oval with lion’s mask handles andconforming base, each marked underneath14æ in. (37.5 cm.) wide67 oz. (2,075 gr.)

k.)A Set of Eleven Entrée-Dishes and CoversEach circular with two lion’s mask-capped scroll handles, the detachablecovers with quatrefoil ogee-loop handles, five with detachable tripartite part-pierced dividers, with a further cover and handle each marked underneath,inside cover and on handle 12 in. (30.6 cm.) wide over handles677 oz. (21,069 gr.)

l.)A Set of Six Entrée-Dishes and CoversEach oval, three with conforming quatrefoil ogee loop handles, three handleslacking, each marked underneath12Ω in. (31.5 cm.) wide353 oz. (10,981 gr.)

h.)A Set of Three Meat-Dish CoversEach oval with a quatrefoil ogee loop handle,

each marked on top and under handle 14 in. (35.5 cm.) wide158 oz. (4,900 gr.)

i.)A Set of Four BasketsEach openwork shell-shaped, on lion’s paw feet,

with lion’s mask-capped handles, applied withcast elephant mask, each marked near border 10º in. (26 cm.) wide131 oz. (4086 gr.)



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m.)A Set of Thirty-Seven Soup-Plates

Each shaped circular, the border cast withanimals in medallions surrounded by flowers,further cast with initials and a crown, each

marked underneath

9Ω in. (24 cm.) diam.725 oz. (22,542 gr.)

n.)A Set of One Hundred Forty-Eight Dessert-Plates


marked underneath

8º in. (21 cm.) diam.1,840 oz. (57,239 gr.)

o.)One Hundred Eighty-Three Dinner-Plates,


marked underneath

9æ in. (24.5 cm.) diam.3,575 oz. (110,194 gr.)

p.)A Set of Six Meat-DishesEach shaped oval, the border cast with animals inmedallions surrounded by flowers, further cast withinitials and a crown, each marked on the back

19Ω in. (50 cm.) wide

359 oz. (11,149 gr.)

q.)A Set of Twelve Meat-DishesEach shaped oval, the border cast with animals inmedallions surrounded by flowers, further cast withinitials and a crown, each marked on the back

18 in. (45.6 cm.) wide743 oz. (23,123 gr.)

r.)A Set of Six Meat-DishesEach shaped oblong, the border cast withanimals in medallions surrounded by flowers,further cast with initials and a crown, each

marked on the back

15Ω in. (39.2 cm.) wide266 oz. (8,271 gr.)



s.)A Set of Three Fish-Dishes and Three MazarinesEach shaped oval, the border cast with animals in medallions surrounded by flowers, further cast withinitials and a crown, each fitted with a conforming detachable mazarine, each marked on the back

26 in. (66 cm.) wide429 oz. (13,328 gr.)

t.)A Set of Six Deep Second-Course DishesEach shaped circular, the border cast withanimals in medallions surrounded by flowers,further cast with initials and a crown, each

marked on the back

14º in. (36 cm.) diam.314 oz. (9,760 gr.)

u.)A Set of Three SalversEach shaped circular, the border cast with animalsin medallions surrounded by flowers, further castwith initials and a crown, each marked on the

back

18æ in. (47.7 cm.) diam.312 oz. (7,718 gr.)

v.)A Set of Six SalversEach shaped circular, the border cast with animalsin medallions surrounded by flowers, further castwith initials and a crown, each marked on the

back

14æ in. (37 cm.) wide345 oz. (10,729 gr.)



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y.)Forty-Three Finger-BowlsEach circular on conforming base, each marked underneath

4¬ in. (11.6 cm.) diam.311 oz. (9,658 gr.)

z.)

A Set of Six Sugar-CastersEach vase shaped on spreading foot, the detachable cover pierced and withbud finial, each marked underneath and on cover bezel

7º in. (18.5 cm) high58 oz. (1,790 gr.)

aa.)Two Cruet-StandsEach boat-shaped with rising lion mask-capped scroll ends and on four lion’spaw feet, with quatrefoil ogee loop handle, bottles lacking, each marked

underneath

8Ω in. (21 cm.) wide44 oz. (1,373 gr.)

ab.)A Set of Twelve Almond-DishesEach shaped oval and on four paw feet, the border cast with animals inmedallions surrounded by flowers, further cast with initials and a crown,each marked on the back

7Ω in. (19 cm.) wide79 oz. (2,456 gr.)

w.)Three Part Coffee-ServicesEach tapering cylindrical on circular spreading base, comprising: three coffee-pots, three hot-water jugs, three sugar bowls and three pairs of sugar tongsthe coffee-pots 9¾ in. (24.8 cm.) highgross weight 207 oz. (6,438 gr.)

x.)Three Condiment-SetsEach on spreading foot, comprising: eighteen mustard-pots and spoons;eighteen pepperettes and eighteen salt-cellars and spoonsthe pepperettes 4¾ in. (12 cm.) high305 oz. (9,559 gr.)



One-hundred and sixty six table-forksOne-hundred and eleven dessert-forksOne-hundred and eleven dessert-spoonsTwenty-one table-spoonsThirty-seven soup-spoonsThirty-seven coffee-spoonsSix pairs of salad-servers

Two pairs of fish-serversSix pairs of asparagus-tongsSix ginger-spoonsThree pairs of grape-scissorsSix spoons with shell shaped bowlsand the following with filled handlesOne-hundred and seven table-knives with steel blades

Seventy-four cheese-knives with steel bladesThirty-seven fruit-knives with silver-gilt bladesThirty-seven fruit-forks with silver-gilt tinesThirty-seven fish-knives with silver-gilt bladesThirty-seven fish-forks with silver-gilt tinesThree melon-knives with silver-gilt bladesThree melon-forks with silver-gilt blades

ac.)A Table-ServiceEach piece with a scroll and foliage and border and decorated with a palmette, die-stamped with a cypher below a crown on one side and either a coat-of-arms oran elephant on the other, comprising:

The Maharaja of Patiala's Banqueting Silver Service

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