St Margaret's Church Westminster. An extremely rare castle top Vinaigrette made in Birmingham in 1843 by Edward Smith.
St Margaret's Church Westminster. An extremely rare castle top Vinaigrette made in Birmingham in 1843 by Edward Smith.
374902
The Vinaigrette is of a broad rectangular form with serpentine shaped sides, displaying shells in each corner. Both the sides and base are engraved with pluming scrolls on a scratch engraved ground, the base also displaying a central, vacant, scroll cartouche. The cover is very finely engraved, on the left, with a view of St.Margaret's Church Westminster, with Westminster Abbey dominating in the background. The interior is very well marked, including a duty mark under the grille, which is pierced and engraved with a panel of scrolls with arrow head and prick dot motif frame. This is the first time we have offered this rare scene, which were usually produced in the workshops of Edward Smith.
St Margaret's Church was built in the latter part of the 11th century, however since 1614, it has been the parish church of the House of Commons. It was here that Sir Walter Raleigh was executed in the churchyard, then buried with honours in the chancel of the church. John Milton is buried here, as were many of Cromwell's supporters who signed Charles I's death warrant. Chaucer was a parishioner and Winston Churchill was married here, as was Samuel Pepys.
Length: 1.45 inches, 3.63 cm.
Width: 1.1 inches, 2.75 cm.
Height: 0.45 inches, 1.13 cm.
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