posted 08-23-2004 09:49 AM            

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...... we have received the following from Rosalina Hardiman, Curator at Portsmouth Museum. I am sure all at the museum would be grateful for any help society members can offer.

Eileen Goodway
Secretary
The Silver Society
Suite 246
2 Lansdowne Row
London
W1J 6HL

'As you may have heard, my museum, the Portsmouth Museums and Records Service suffered a theft last week.An advertisement is to appear in 'Trace' but it thought it might be helpful to alert your membership.

Four silver cups ( porringers/ posset pots) and a lantern clock were stolen from a locked case during open hours. An alarm system was in place but did not alert our reception desk. The cups had been purchased from Sotheby's on 24 April 1969 ( lots 260,261,262 and 263).

They are all sterling silver and were all marked in London but lack their original covers. They have owner's marks and one has a dedicatory inscription.

The first is 1698-99, possibly made by Alexander Roode. It has a tapering body decorated with curved flutes and lobes below a corded girdle. It has cast scroll handles and is inscribed on the base " P C F".

The second is 1668-69, the maker's mark T.K above a cinquefoil. It is of baluster form with a bulbous body. It is decorated with embossed figures of a stag and hound amid flowers. The cast scroll handles are in debased caryatid form. It is inscribed on the base "The Gift of Mrs Ann Horvel to this Church 1718". The church was the United Reformed Church ( now John Pounds's Church in Portsmouth).

The third, of 1669-70 is very similar to the second except for the maker's mark of I.C. below a crown and the inscription on the base which only has the initials "A.L.".

The fourth is of 1674-75 with a maker's mark of R.H. with a cinquefoil and two pellets. It is of similar form to two and three but is embossed with a lion and unicorn amid flowers. It is inscribed on the base "D E M".

The lantern clock is made of brass and iron. It was made by Geo Walker of Oxford. It dates to around 1680-90. It has a pierced dolphin cresting, single hand, bell and urn finial. At the time of theft it had a later chain
and pulley wheel attached. It is inscribed with "Geo. Walker. Oxon."

We will be offering a reward for information leading to the recovery of these items, the exact details of which are not yet available. Our contact is D.C. Larder at Southsea C.I.D, Southsea Police Station, 259 Highland
Road, Southsea PO4 9 EX. Tel: 0845 045 4545 . The reference number is KC/22675/04.

As you can imagine we are very shocked by what has happened, especially as we were confident that we had good security for the case in which these items were shown, very searching questions have been asked about how this could have happened and we will be taking a strict look at the rest of our security arrangements. Meanwhile, we would be grateful if you could warn your members to be vigilant - at the very least, do not take security for granted.

Yours sincerely,
Rosalinda M.C. Hardiman

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