Burwash & Sibley

Made in London, 1809
Maker’s Mark of William Burwash & Richard Sibley

Length Handle to Handle: 16.75in (42.5cm)

Height: 11.5in (29cm)
Width: 10in (25.5cm)

Weight :111oz (3450gr)

Bearing the Arms of Samuel Smith (14 April 1754 – 12 March 1834)

This is a beautiful example of a Neo classical ‘boat shaped’ two handled soup tureen. It is made to the finest quality and has survived in almost perfect condition. This piece combines the best of both the regency and the Neo classical periods. Like your candelabra it has the beautiful gardrooned borders and fluted design to the lower half which is very much of the regency taste but also it retains the extremely elegant ‘boat shape’ design. This combination of the best elements of both periods results in what, I believe, is an extremely elegant soup tureen of the finest quality. On each side of the tureen is a cast an applied acanthus leaf design which just adds to its beauty even further.

This piece has a beautiful engraved crest to the lid and the body of the tureen and it is that of Samuel Smith. Samuel Smith (14 April 1754 – 12 March 1834) was a wealthy banker, of the Smith banking Dynasty and Tory MP. Smith married Elizabeth Turnor on 2 December 1783, together they had seven daughters and four sons. Due to the left of his time in parliament (44 years) in 1826, being the longest continually serving MP, he became Father of the House. In 1801 Smith bought Woodhall Park (see picture below) in Hertfordshire, which still belongs to his descendants (parts of the main house are used as a school).