Silver Racing Buttons. Note 17.

I find it is the naivety and simplicity of engravings of early racehorses that give them their undoubted charm. These engravings also give vitality to accounts of the early days at Newmarket, providing an indentity to the individual animals recorded in the annals of racing. They bring to life the again slightly crudely painted beasts among Wootton's and Tilleman's "trains of running horses", or one of Seymour's paintings and engravings such as: A View of the Great Horse Match between Conqueror and Looby that was run at Newmarket on the 6th of October 1753. Seeing similar designs engraved on near-contemporary silver invites speculation on their origin.

At the end of January, Bonhams of Knightsbridge sold a set of seven (one missing) George III Irish silver circular buttons (35mm). Each was engraved with a named horse in a nearly uniform landscape, some with grooms. The horses were Black Prince, O Burn, Peeping Tom, Snip, Tinker, Bum Brusher and Bishop. The line engraving is simple, but not surprisingly so in such a small compass. The buttons were made in Dublin by IW (?) in 1787. They sold for £1,680 inclusive of buyer's premium.

Among the earliest series of racehorse portrait prints are the fourteen or so line engravings by Joseph Sympson Snr. and Jnr. after the work of Peter Tillemans (1684-1734)(6), John Wootton (c.1683-1764)(7), and one anonymous. There may have been more after Thomas Spencer (1700-1763), but I have not seen them. They were published by the Sympsons at The Dove, Drury Lane, London c.1730. In 1727 John Cheny began publishing his Historical List or Account of all the Horse Matches Run (the fore-runner of today's Racing Calendar). Cheny and Thomas Butler then published a set of thirty-four very decorative line-engraved plates of racehorses and their riders after James Seymour (c.1720-1752)(26), Wootton, one, and Spencer, four. Around each image is an account of the life and racing fame of the horse illustrated. Most were engraved by Remi Parr, one by the noted Pierre Charle Canot ARA, a Parisian who worked in London from 1740 until his death in 1777, and three by Henry Roberts, who also sold and published prints in London. They were brought out between 1741 and 1754, the last few appearing after both Cheny and Seymour had died.

At the behest of Thomas Spencer, Richard Houston engraved a series of twelve mezzotint plates of racehorses that were sold by Spencer and Robert Clee at Panton Street, Leicester Fields in March 1755 and March and April 1756. Six were after the late James Seymour and six after Spencer. The softer line and shading of the mezzotint process gave a much better portrayal of the conformation of a horse and was invaluable to silversmiths working in relief on racing trophies. Horse portrait engravings after paintings by Francis (1734-1800) and later his son, John Nost Sartorius (1759-1828), were published in both line and mezzotint, as were a number of larger racing scenes. These latter panoramas from Newmarket, Ascot and Epsom provided the example for many of the frieze-like scenes found around the lips of contemporary gold and silver racing cups. Identifying the painting or print from which a certain cup is decorated in engraved or repoussee work is a treasure hunt in itself.

Returning to the Dublin buttons: four horses (all stallions) stand looking right, three with grooms, and on the other three (and presumably the missing fourth), the horses look left - some form of double-breasted jacket or livery? Bum Brusher is ridden and the heavily rugged Bishop is being led into a loose-box by a groom, reminiscent of a Seymour drawing. One might assume that these buttons were commissioned by a single owner wishing to record the prowess of his stable. However, looking at reports of racing from 1785 to 1787, a Mr Kirwan and a Mr R.B. Daly appear to be the leading lights of the Irish turf. Among other horses, Mr Kirwan owned Snip and Daly owned Peeping Tom and Bishop. In 1785, Kirwan's Snip beat Daly's Peeping Tom in the Rutland Stakes of 200 Gns. each for 3-year-old colts at the Curragh June Meeting. The Duke of Rutland's filly by Eclipse was third. In 1784 William Pitt the Younger had sent his youthful friend, Rutland, to be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Rutland 'died in harness', if that is the right term, three years later, aged 33. He was 'a victim of his irregularities', dying of liver disease from over-eating and far too much port! Snip beat Peeping Tom on other occasions in the following two years. Among other victories, again at the Curragh and on 17 June 1786, Mr Connolly's Bum Brusher won His Majesty's Plate of 100 Gns.' for any horse, etc, bred in Ireland', by coming first in two four-mile heats defeating horses owned by Daly, Kirwan and four others. Mr F. Savage's Tinker and Daly's Bishop also ran in 1786, but without much success. I can find no record of Black Prince or O Burn.

Two questions arise: First, by the date they were made (1787), there were plenty of prints that the button engraver could have followed, although none seem to have been published in Ireland. What prints were copied - if any? Second, who commissioned these buttons (and why) depicting eight stallions that seem to have had different owenrs?

So far, these Notes have elicited few Comments. They can easily be made on their content by pressing "Comment". Perhaps on this occasion somebody will come to my aid.