Antiques M.S. Rau | Hunt & Roskell Silver-Gilt Presentation Cup

This Exquisite 1897 Two-Handled Presentation Cup By Esteemed Silver Firm Hunt &Amp; Roskell Was Modeled After A 1743 Cup Made By Paul Lamerie, The Most Famed London-Based Silversmith Of The 18Th Century. The Cup Was Presented To Sir David Salomons, The First President Of The Royal Automobile Club. Like Lamerie’S 1743 Work, This Elaborate Presentation Piece Features A Domed Base And Baluster Cup Richly Cast And Chased With A Large Cherub Perched Amongst Swirling Grapevines, Bacchic Masks And Lion Heads. The Twisting Vine Handles And Domed Cover Are Chased To Match. The Embellished Cup Is Topped By A Large Grape Bunch Finial. The Base Rim Is Engraved “À L’Automobile Club De France, Souvenir De Sir David Salomons.” Sir David Lionel Goldsmid-Stern-Salomons Developed A Passion For Various Modes Of Transportation From A Young Age, Eventually Becoming A Pioneer Of “Horseless Vehicles.” He Became The Founder And First President Of The Royal Automobile Club In 1897 And This Cup Commemorates This Achievement. Founded By The Great Paul Storr In 1819, Hunt &Amp; Roskell Was One Of The Most Important London Silversmithing Firms Of The 19Th Century. The Firm Became Famous For Crafting Some Of The Greatest Centerpieces Of The Victorian Age. Hunt &Amp; Roskell’S Pieces Can Be Seen Today In Many Museum Collections Around The World. Hallmarked Hunt &Amp; Roskell, London, 1897 Bears French Import Marks Inscribed Under The Lid “109·55.03 / The Original Model Of This Cup Was Made By Paul Lamerie” 15 5/8″ High By 9 3/4″ Wide By 6 3/4″ Deep Provenance: Sir David Lionel Goldsmid-Stern-Salomons, 2Nd Bt. (1851-1925) Sale, Sotheby’S, London, 27 April 2010, Lot 306 Private Collection M.S. Rau, New Orleans