Country House Collections 13th October 2026

68 A VICTORIAN SILVER TEA SERVICE, London 1865, marks of Robert Harper and Charles Boyton, comprising a teapot, twin-handled sugar bowl, milk jug and kettle with warming stand and burner, each of lobed form, the panels decorated with bright-cut scroll motifs, the teapot and kettle cast with elaborate bird finial, engraved with the Gonne family crest and motto, enclosed in a custom-made wooden trunk (c. 150 troy ozs) (5) Provenance: From the collection of Maud Gonne McBride (1866 - 1953); thence by descent €8,000 - 10,000 FROM THE COLLECTION OF MAUD GONNE MCBRIDE (1866 - 1953) Maud Gonne was a prominent figure in Irish history: a bohemian revolutionary, suffragette and actress. She was the eldest daughter of Captain Thom- as Gonne and Edith Frith Gonne (née Cook). During her early life, the family travelled between Ireland, Great Britain and France. Following her mother’s death in 1871, Maud spent periods in London with her grandfather, Francis Cook, 1st Viscount of Monserrate, a noted art collector. Gonne lived during a period of great political and cultural change, as Ireland moved out of the 19th century, defined by Empire and the Industrial Revolution and into the political and artistic idealism of the early 20th century. An inheritance from her mother’s estate provided her with a degree of financial independence that was unusual for a woman of her time and enabled her to travel extensively. Throughout the 1890s, she travelled across the British Isles and the United States campaigning for the nationalist cause and helped found Inghinidhe na hÉireann (Daughters of Ireland), which became a distinct voice for women in Irish affairs. The present lot is of particular interest in relation to Gonne’s family history and extensive travels. The bespoke wooden case, evidently made for the transportation and storage of the service, further suggests its use as a por- table and cherished family possession. The kettle bears the presentation inscription “Propter Amorem AD 1866”, together with the Gonne family crest and the motto “Ferendo et Sperando”. The date and inscription suggest that the service may have been presented or acquired in connection with a significant family occasion. As Maud Gonne was born in 1866, it is possible that the service was associated with her birth, although this cannot be established with certainty. The service is further distinguished by its finely executed bright-cut decoration of fruiting motifs and elaborate bird finial, illustrating the technical and decorative skill of mid-Victorian silver manufacture. Weronika Kocurkiewicz