We are delighted to announce the sale of this Regency Coade Stone Torchère by Coade & Sealy to The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
One of a set of ten individually-designed torchères commissioned for the Prince Regent and designed by Thomas Hopper (1776-1856), it was originally made for the cast-iron gothic Conservatory at Carlton House, the London residence of the Prince Regent, later George IV (1762-1830).
Coade & Sealy was founded by Eleanor Coade (1733 – 1821) around 1769 when she moved from Lyme Regis, Dorset to London and opened a factory in Lambeth making artificial stone. Very few women are recorded producing works of arts in Georgian, especially in the field of architectural stoneware. Eleanor Coade was a notable exception. On her death, she was succeeded by her daughter and Coade and Sealy was active until 1833.
Luke Syson, Director at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge said:
“We are really delighted to have acquired this substantial and complex work from Thomas Coulborn and Sons. Made under the direction of Eleanor Coade, an eighteenth-century female entrepreneur of great drive and distinction, this coadestone torchère is an exciting addition to the Fitzwilliam Museum’s collection - falling into a fascinating space between sculpture, design and decorative arts. We think our visitors will be equally fascinated by this extraordinary piece.”
More information about the torchère can be found here.