Pitcher and basin for ritual hand-washing. London and Paris, second half of the 19th century.
Cast silver; silver, turned, repoussé, and engraved. Pitcher with London marks dating from first half of 19th century, ca. 1825, and with partial maker’s mark beginning with the initial "J", probably for Joseph Angell; basin marked with French quality mark and maker’s mark, of the silversmith Jean Francois Veyrat, active in Paris, 1830s-1840s.
1. Heavy, high-quality silver pitcher with elegant handle. Pitcher supported on tall stand with broad round base. Bearing the inscription (English): "New Synagogue, Leadenhall Street".
2. Deep basin, supported on short, broad round base. Bearing dedicatory inscription (English) engraved on inner surface: "The gift of Louis Goldberg Esq-re, London AM 5628 [1868]".
The present pitcher is a precise copy of a pitcher created in London by the silversmith Abraham Portal in 1768 on behalf of the New Synagogue on Leadenhall Street (est. 1761), which is (or recently was) part of the collection of the Jewish Museum, London (Item No. JM 192; museum currently inactive).
When the present pitcher and basin were offered for sale in the auction at Sotheby’s in 2009 (see below), it was noted in the auction catalogue that the pitcher had originally been made to mark the occasion of the synagogue’s move to its new location, Great St. Helens, Bishopsgate Street, in 1837.
Pitcher: Height: 32 cm. Maximal width: 25 cm. Basin: Height: 11 cm. Diameter at rim: 31 cm. Overall good condition. Slight warping.
Provenance:
1. Sotheby’s, Tel Aviv, April 12, 1996, Lot 222.
2. Sotheby’s, New York, November 24, 2009, Lot 52.
For comparison, see:
1. Richard David Barnett, "Catalogue of the Permanent and Loan Collection of the Jewish Museum London, " London, [1974], no. 192, plate LXXI.
2. (Authored by the Curators), "Treasures of Jewish Heritage: The Jewish Museum, London, " London, [2006], p. 86.
