An extremely rare George IV Ice Pail/Bottle Cooler depicting the Georgian Hop Harvest. Made in London in 1823 by Philip Rundell. Retailed by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell.

This beautiful piece stands on a circular pedestal foot decorated with lobing.  The foot rises to a campana shaped body, the lower section decorated with heart shaped motifs and shells on a matted ground.  The sides rise to an everted, applied, rim decorated with reeding.  The sides of the main body are very finely made in three separate sections and then soldered together.  The sides display three scenes from the Georgian hop harvest on a matted ground.  These have been designed and executed to the highest standard.  The first scene depicts a man cutting down the hops bines and passing them to two women, in period costume, who pick them from the stems and place them in wicker baskets.  The second scene shows the women carrying and emptying the full baskets and a child is shown sleeping with a dog by a barrel, with the tally man keeping an eye on the proceedings.  The final scene depicts a horse and cart with four men filling the sacks and then loading them onto the waiting cart.  Women and Children would make the journey each year, from London, to Kent for employment during the hop harvest.  Although the work was hard, they viewed it as a break from the conditions in the city and looked forward to it.   As you will see from the scene details, this has all been executed to the finest standard and the condition of the decoration, hardly shows any wear.  We know that Philip Rundell was using John Flaxman and William Theed to design for him.  The main body is very well marked and the base is stamped with the retailers mark of Rundell Bridge et Rundell Aurifices Regis Londini, the same as your Royal Jugs.  The base is also engraved with a contemporary Crest.

The quality of design and production is of the finest standard and this piece is made in five separate pieces, such is the attention to detail.  Its condition is also quite exceptional, showing hardly any wear to the piece.  We can conclude that it has seen very little use over the years.  This piece is of a excellent gauge and weight.

Height: 9.2 inches.

Diameter at the rim: 7.6 inches.

Weight: 53oz.

PHILIP RUNDELL

Philip Rundell was apprentice to Joseph Rogers of Bath, arriving in London in 1767 as shop man to Theed and Pickett of Ludgate Hill.  He was made a partner in 1772 and acquired sole ownership of the business in 1785-6.  He took John Bridge into partnership in 1788 and his nephew Edmund Walter Rundell by 1803, the firm being styled Rundell, Bridge & Rundell from 1805.  Rundell's was the largest silver retailer of the Regency period.  They set the standard during the nineteenth century for both the organisation of the silver trade and its promotions of artistic designs.  A print of the shop exterior of Rundell, Bridge & Rundell is shown.  They were appointed Goldsmith and Jeweller to the King in 1797 and took Paul Storr into working partnership in 1807, an arrangement which lasted until 1819, when Rundell entered his own mark from workshops in Dean Street, Soho.  He died in 1827, leaving his fortune of £ 1.25 million to his nephew Joseph Nield, one of the largest estates ever proved.  When Neild died he left his entire estate to Queen Victoria, which hugely increased the wealth of the British Monarchy.

He was held in great admiration by King George IV and he asked him to make the crown jewels for his coronation in 1821.  The state diadem, worn frequently by the late Queen, was also from Rundell's workshops.  A marble portrait bust of Philip Rundell is also attached.