Description

Sale Catalogue.- [Lightfoot (John)] [Sale Catalogue] Catalogue of the Portland Museum, lately the property of the Duchess Dowager of Portland, Deceased..., catalogue numbered "843" in manuscript at foot of title, engraved frontispiece by Grignion after Burney, Mr. Skinner and Co., 1786 bound with Marked Catalogue (A) containing the Lots...which constituted the Portland Museum..., Kearsley...Sewell..., 1786, together 2 works in 1 vol., contemporary ink signature of A.Apsley at head of each title, water- and damp-stained throughout, contemporary half russia, worn, covers detached; and 2 others on the Portland Vase including a bound copy of the 1929 Christie's sale catalogue, v.s. (3)

⁂ Scarce auction catalogue of the extraordinary collection assembled by the Duchess of Portland, the richest woman in Britain at the time, whose intention according to the introduction was "to have had every unknown species in the three kingdoms of nature described and published to the world". The sale consisted of over 4000 items, mostly natural history specimens and curiosities, and lasted for 38 days. The penultimate lot on day 38 was the famous cameo glass "Portland Vase" which was bought for £1029 by the Duchess's son, the 3rd Duke of Portland, who then lent it to Josiah Wedgwood to execute copies in black and white jasperware. The 6th Duke later tried to sell it at Christie's in 1929 but it failed to sell, and finally the British Museum bought it in 1945.

Lot 267

Sale Catalogue.- Lightfoot (John) [Sale Catalogue] Catalogue of the Portland Museum, lately the property of the Duchess Dowager of Portland, Deceased..., bound with list of prices, Mr. Skinner and Co., 1786 & another (2)  

Hammer Price: £1,100

Description

Sale Catalogue.- [Lightfoot (John)] [Sale Catalogue] Catalogue of the Portland Museum, lately the property of the Duchess Dowager of Portland, Deceased..., catalogue numbered "843" in manuscript at foot of title, engraved frontispiece by Grignion after Burney, Mr. Skinner and Co., 1786 bound with Marked Catalogue (A) containing the Lots...which constituted the Portland Museum..., Kearsley...Sewell..., 1786, together 2 works in 1 vol., contemporary ink signature of A.Apsley at head of each title, water- and damp-stained throughout, contemporary half russia, worn, covers detached; and 2 others on the Portland Vase including a bound copy of the 1929 Christie's sale catalogue, v.s. (3)

⁂ Scarce auction catalogue of the extraordinary collection assembled by the Duchess of Portland, the richest woman in Britain at the time, whose intention according to the introduction was "to have had every unknown species in the three kingdoms of nature described and published to the world". The sale consisted of over 4000 items, mostly natural history specimens and curiosities, and lasted for 38 days. The penultimate lot on day 38 was the famous cameo glass "Portland Vase" which was bought for £1029 by the Duchess's son, the 3rd Duke of Portland, who then lent it to Josiah Wedgwood to execute copies in black and white jasperware. The 6th Duke later tried to sell it at Christie's in 1929 but it failed to sell, and finally the British Museum bought it in 1945.

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