Long Lost Vase Sold for $53,000
After being used, among other things, as a wine cooler, a Victorian royal presentation vase and horse racing trophy known as “Her Majesty’s Vase” was sold for nearly $53,000 (40,000 pounds) on March 6, 2022. Lost for more than 177 years, the vase was commissioned by Queen Victoria and produced especially for the Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall races in 1845 by the silversmith John Samuel Hunt (1785–1865) who traded with another great silversmith, Paul Storr (1770–1844). The vase was last seen when it was presented in 1845 at the races as a gift from Her Majesty the Queen to the owner of the winning horse. It stayed with the family of the owner of the winning horse, Sir John Barker-Mill, 1st Baronet (1803–1860), and its significance and history was lost to his descendants. The vase and stand had become separated. The vase was rediscovered in the family home. The stand was recently discarded in an outbuilding. Research confirmed what it was. Chiswick Auctions sold to a UK buyer.
Photo: Chiswick Auctions
2 responses to “Long Lost Vase Sold for $53,000 ”
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Well so be it. None of us would be on this site and love Kovels for their stories like this. People and their taste in decor change. If it weren’t so you, myself would not be here to learn. Not all have the care to be preservationists of history and items of significance. I say this gladly first and sadly second.
I was surprised to find that the fifth line of this article contains the information that “…its significance and history was lost to his ancestors”. Of course it was; his ancestors were those who preceded him, and were likely long gone. His descendants, however, were those who came after him and were ignorant of the importance of the piece.