A RARE GEORGE III SCRIMSHAW DECORATED HORN BEAKER BY SPILMAN LATE 18TH CENTURY worked all over...

A RARE GEORGE III SCRIMSHAW DECORATED HORN BEAKER BY SPILMAN

LATE 18TH CENTURY

worked all over with a naval battle scene with a multitude of ships on the line, some named, including: 'Monarch' and 'Venerable', titled 'A Representation of Admiral Duncan's Victory the 11th October 1797', signed 'N. Spilman Sculp. Yarm.o'

11.2cm high

PROVENANCE

'A Lifetime of Collecting' - The Property of a Gentleman.

CATALOGUE NOTE

Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan (1st July 1731-4th August 1804), was a British Admiral who defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown on the 11th October 1797. The present lot depicts this battle which is considered one of the most significant actions in naval history. There is little known of Nathaniel Spilman but a number of engraved horn beakers reside in a handful of British museums. A horn beaker commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar can be found in the Lionel Preston Collection at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. A beaker commemorating Nelson's victory at the Nile was sold by Tennants, Leyburn on the 21st July 2006 for £3,200 hammer price.