An extremely rare silver-gilded ewer and basin from the 16th Century are to go on display in Edinburgh.
The Panmure ewer and basin, which are about 437 years old, will go on permanent display at the National Museum of Scotland.
During the 16th century, ewers and basins such as these were used by elite members of society for ceremonially washing hands at meals.
Queen Elizabeth I alone had at least 40 sets of silver or silver-gilt ewers and basins in 1574, but today fewer than a dozen sets made in London before 1600 survive.
This set was acquired by the nation under the Acceptance in Lieu scheme.
Under the scheme, people can give objects of historical, cultural or scientific importance to the government instead of paying inheritance tax when someone dies.
Created in London in 1586 or 1587 by the goldsmith HC, the Panmure ewer and basin would have been used ceremonially and also displayed proudly on a buffet to impress people with the owner’s wealth and status.
The ritual of hand washing at a banquet, using scented rosewater, was widely practiced by royalty and aristocrats in the 16th century.
‘I am delighted that this remarkable set has been acquired for Scotland under the Acceptance in Lieu scheme,’ said Dr Godfrey Evans, Principal Curator of European Decorative Arts at National Museums Scotland.
‘Most similar examples were melted down, making the Panmure ewer and basin an exceptionally rare survival.
‘Their craftsmanship is particularly fine and the representations of lots of scaly dolphins, flying fish, snails and other weird and wonderful animals offer us a glimpse into a period when such objects demonstrated the wealth, power and sophistication of the elite.’
The Panmure ewer and basin is one of fewer than a dozen sets made in London before 1600 that are still in existence.
Most of the other best sets are in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts.
In 1967, the Panmure ewer and basin were exhibited in Treasures from Scottish Houses: European Decorative Arts in what was then the Royal Scottish Museum.
They are now on permanent display in the Art of Living gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.
Research will now be carried out to try to discover more about their maker and how they were acquired by the important Scottish Whig politician, William Ramsay Maule, 1st Baron Panmure (1771-1852), the second son of the 8th Earl of Dalhousie and the father of the 11th Earl of Dalhousie.
Read more on Scottish Field’s News pages.
Plus, don’t miss the November issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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