A Chamberlain Worcester coffee can from the 'Horatia Service', circa 1802-03

A Chamberlain Worcester coffee can from the 'Horatia Service', circa 1802-03 Of slender bucket shape with an ogee handle, decorated with the 'Fine Old Japan' pattern no.240, the Imari design reserving gold-ground panels painted with Nelson's viscount and ducal coronets and the crest of the San Josef with motto 'FAITH AND WORKS', 6.7cm high Footnotes: Provenance Vice-Admiral Horatio, Lord Nelson Emma, Lady Hamilton Nelson ordered the Horatia Service from Chamberlain's factory during his well documented visit to Worcester in August 1802. The order paperwork still exists in the Royal Museum of Worcester's archives and lists amongst other pieces for a breakfast set '12 Coffees & Saucers', which were to be decorated in the luxurious 'Japan' pattern number 240 and to feature Nelson's crests. After Nelson's death in 1805 Emma, Lady Hamilton descended into grief-stricken overindulgence. She borrowed money from many sources and had various possessions listed and packed away as surety against loans. One such loan was the 'Trickey Inventory' from circa 1813, which included as part of a full description of the 'Horatia Set' '12 Coffee Cups and 12 Saucers (1 broken)'. Some of Emma's chinaware was sold at auction in 1813, although it is likely that the Horatia set remained packed in crates kept in a warehouse by Alderman Smith as surety against other money he had advanced to Emma. Emma's daughter, Horatia and her husband, Reverend Philip Ward had attempted to reclaim what they felt should have been hers when she came of age, and their correspondence with Alderman Smith mentions 'the service you are anxious to possess with the arms of Nelson' (Rina Prentice, The Authentic Nelson, pp.19-22). It is therefore likely that part of the Chamberlain service was reluctantly given (or sold) by Alderman Smith to Nelson's daughter Horatia. In the National Maritime Museum, three coffee cups and some matching saucers from the Chamberlain Horatia Service were gifted to the museum by the Reverend Hugh Nelson-Ward, grandson of Horatia, as part of the Nelson-Ward Collection. These had almost certainly belonged to Horatia and are identical to the present lot. Other pieces from the Horatia service, including a coffee cup were sold by Bonhams on 23 April 2024, lots 41-48. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing