Charles II Wall Light with the Arms of the Earls of Lonsdale

ca. 1670

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 509

This silver-gilt wall light, supplied to Charles II around 1670, belongs to a royal dinner service given to the court goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge, & Rundell in 1808 to cover the costs of the new court silver produced to furnish Kensington Palace for the ill-fated Caroline, Princess of Wales. Rather than melting down the silver, the Rundells sold the most important pieces to their regular customers. The wall lights were apparently acquired by William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale (1757–1844), whose crest is engraved on the upper section of the piece, including the band of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, which he was awarded in 1807. Recent research has attributed the crowned S mark, which was formerly ascribed to Charles Shelley, to Robert Smythier, whose mark can also be found on other items of court silver dated from 1664 to 1686.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Charles II Wall Light with the Arms of the Earls of Lonsdale
Maker: Robert Smythier (British, active 1660–died 1689)
Date: ca. 1670
Culture: British, London
Medium: Gilded silver
Dimensions: wt. confirmed: 20 11/16 × 17 5/16 in., 5.8 lb. (52.5 × 44 cm, 2642g)
Classification: Metalwork-Silver
Credit Line: Gift of Tobias Meyer and Mark Fletcher, in honor of Luke Syson, 2020
Object Number: 2020.253
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

In the same gallery

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Teakettle and spirit lamp with stand, Paul de Lamerie British, Silver, leather, British, London — Teakettle and spirit lamp with stand
Paul de Lamerie
1744/45

Teakettle, lamp, and table, Simon Pantin I British, Silver, wood, British, London — Teakettle, lamp, and table
Simon Pantin I
1724–25

Vase with cover (one of a pair), I H British, Silver gilt, British, London — Vase with cover (one of a pair)
I H
1675–76

Ewer, Samuel Margas Jr. British, Silver gilt, British, London — Ewer
Samuel Margas Jr.
ca. 1721

Wine cooler (one of a pair), William Lukin I British, Silver, British, London — Wine cooler (one of a pair)
William Lukin I
1716/17

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.