The Hart Silver

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The Hart Silver
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Tureen and candelabra
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An important suite of Victorian table ware known
as The Empress of China Silver. Sir Robert Hart
silver suite, hallmarked W.G. J.L. for
Goldsmiths Silversmiths Co., 1888. It consists
of a centerpiece on a mirrored tray, pair of
candelabra and four comportieres. Sir Robert Hart
was the Inspector General of the Chinese Imperial
maritime Customs and in recognition of his
services to the Chinese he received this
magnificent suite of silver in 1908. He was born
in Northern Ireland and became Queens
Universitys first Pro-Vice-Chancellor (from 1908
1911) The Hart family kindly donated the silver
to Queens in 1972.
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candelabra overview
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Candelabra base
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candelabra dragon overview
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Candelabra leaves
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Candelabra sconce
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Candelabra stem
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Candelabra dragon
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Compotiere overview
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Compotiere detail
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Tureen base
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Tureen bowl exterior
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Tureen bowl interior
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tureen escutcheon
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Tureen side view
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• SIR ROBERT HART
• BORN 1835 in Portadown. He was the eldest of
  twelve children. The Harts had a background in
  distilling, shop-keeping and farming. They moved
  to Lisburn to a place at Ravarnette.
• EDUCATION - Robert Hart was 15 years old when he
  came to Queens College, Belfast (1850). He
  graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1853 at the
  age of 18 years old. He was the only candidate
  awarded a graduate scholarship in Modern
  Languages, valued at 40 for 1853-1854.
• EARLY CAREER - In 1854 the British Foreign
  Secretary, Earl of Clarendon, put in place a
  scheme for the development of the consular
  service in China and Japan. A circular was sent
  to the Queens Colleges in Ireland (these
  included Galway, Dublin, Belfast and Cork),
  requesting recommendations. Robert Hart put his
  name forward, along with 36 other candidates, and
  was nominated by the College Council he was then
  appointed to the post of Supernumeracy Inspector
  in China. He was 19 years old.

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• CAREER Very little was known about China in
  1854 British Consular staff in Hong Kong and the
  Treaty Ports were responsible for promoting
  Britains trading interests in China. Trade
  continued to grow and with this expansion the
  need for interpreters.
• Robert Hart spent short periods of time in Hong
  Kong, Ningpo and the Canton as an interpreter.
  In 1859 Hart resigned from the British Consular
  Service the Canton Viceroy asked him to join the
  Chinese Imperial Maritime Service, which at that
  time was only 4 years old.
• Robert Hart was appointed Inspector- General of
  the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs in 1863 he
  was 28 years old. He was responsible to the
  Chinese Government for the operating of the
  Customs Service. His post was a delicate balance
  of organisational skill and diplomacy and he had
  considerable influence over American and European
  authorities.
• By the end of the 19th century the Customs
  Service was responsible for the Chinese Imperial
  Postal Service, port development, inland and
  coastal waterways as well as collecting revenue.
  Robert Hart was made a Baronet in 1893 in
  recognition of his achievements in China. China
  showered distinction after distinction upon him,
  including the Order of the Double Dragon, the
  Rank of the First Class for Three Generations of
  the Peacockss Feather and rarest of all,
  posthumously, the title of the Senior Guardian of
  the Heir Apparent. He left his post at the
  Inspectorate in 1908 (he was given the silver on
  his retirement by the Chinese Empress Dowager.
  This was subsequently given to Queens by his
  great-grandson) and returned to England he was
  Pro-Chancellor of Queens University, Belfast
  from 1908-1911. He died in 1911.
• Robert Hart was well liked and respected by the
  Chinese because of his lifelong dedication to
  them many of his servants stayed with him for 20
  to 30 years.

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How was it made?

• The beauty of silver and the ease with which it
  can be worked have made it a favoured metal since
  at least the 3rd millennium BC. Although silver
  has considerable strength, it is malleable enough
  to work cold or at a low temperature, making it
  an ideal material for use in a small workshop.
• Objects were often built up from separate parts
  worked by different techniques and assembled with
  solder (molten metal), rivets or perhaps mounted
  on a central shaft. These methods encouraged
  specialisation and the workshop and apprentices
  could train in a particular branch of the trade
• Silver was shaped and decorated using a variety
  of techniques. Three-dimensional objects could be
  raised from flat sheets of silver hammered over
  an anvil. Techniques for surface decoration
  included chasing, enamelling, damascening,
  niello, engraving and piercing.
• (Information from the Silver Rooms, Victoria and
  Albert Museum, London, 2007)

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Table Silver

• For centuries plate has symbolised wealth and
  standing. Ritual and ceremony have always
  demanded silver trappings. A dinner was judged by
  the height of the buffet as well as the number of
  dishes. The King, the Lord Mayor and aristocrats
  borrowed or hired plate to make a good show. The
  speaker of the House of Commons and ambassadors
  expected to be provided with a handsome service
  of plate at the expense of the Crown to emphasize
  their special status.
• (Information from the Silver Rooms, Victoria and
  Albert Museum, London, 2007)

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Nineteenth-Century Attitudes to Silver

• Silver played a very important role in
  conspicuous consumption and the display of wealth
  in early nineteenth century society in Europe and
  America. It remained a symbol of status and an
  aspiration of the missle-classes throughout the
  century, although the spread of cheaper
  electroplated goods and the challenge from other
  materials such as glass and ceramics reduced its
  appeal. The commercial trade failed to introduce
  innovative designs and changing dining etiquette
  and even attitudes to investment undermined
  silver use. However, new demands associated with
  travel and dining out encouraged the use of
  silver and its substitutes outside the home.
• (Information from the Silver Rooms, Victoria and
  Albert Museum, London, 2007).

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Making Silver in the Nineteenth Century

• In the early nineteenth century, London was still
  the most important place in Britain for the
  manufacture of silver.