Cup and cover

This richly decorated cup was conceived as a horse racing trophy. It is an eclectic assemblage of various jewels and elements. For example, the foot carved in stone might be the bowl from an older tazza (a type of footed vessel), whereas the finial is a pendant (a piece of jewellery) showing St George killing the Dragon. Its function as a horse racing trophy is indicated by horses' heads under the cup. Beneath them, there are four enslaved Black figures whose hands and feet are chained. Although slavery was officially abolished in the French colonies in 1848, racist imagery was still prevalent in the nineteenth century. Enslaved or ‘blackamoor’ figures, as they were often referred to, were historically shown as supports for architectural structures, garden fountains, furniture, and other forms of decorative arts. This cup was one of several racing trophies won by Lord Henry Seymour (1805–1859). The son of the 3rd Marchioness by (probably) comte Casimir de Montrond, Lord Henry was the half-brother of the 4th Marquess of Hertford. He led a privileged and fashionable life in Paris and collected works of art. Passionate about horses, he was one of the founders of the French Jockey Club and its first president. Established in 1833 as the ‘Society for the Encouragement of the Improvement of Horse Breeding in France’, the French Jockey Club became an exclusive gentlemen's club. In his will, he included substantial bequests for four of his favourite horses, which were never to be ridden again.