A pair of George III carved treen figures of Shakespeare and Milton in the manner of Salsbee, possibly mulberry wood, depicting the bard leaning on a pile of books on a concave pedestal, Milton also leaning on a book and scroll strewn pedestal relief carved with Adam and Eve being chased by a fallen angel, the base of Shakespeare with two printed labels, one inscribed 'The statuettes alleged to be carved from the wood of Shakespeare's mulberry-tree ......among the most attractive of the archaic carvings by Salsbee (1761)', 34cm high (max). (2) During the 18th century there was an informal tourist industry in Stratford with people visiting Shakespeare's tomb and the mulberry tree he supposedly planted at New Place. However the then owner Rev. Francis Gastrell became annoyed by the growing number of visitors and sometime in the 1750s felled the tree and later demolished New Place. Objects carved from the mulberry tree first started to appear around 1760/1770 after Gastrell sold the wood to local carvers and turners for example: Thomas Sharp and George Cooper eager to make souvenirs. At this period of 'bardolatry' drinking vessels, tea caddies, tobacco stoppers, goblets and small boxes or caskets, and similar objects carved from the wood were highly prized.
A pair of George III carved treen figures of Shakespeare and Milton in the manner of Salsbee, possibly mulberry wood, depicting the bard leaning on a pile of books on a concave pedestal, Milton also leaning on a book and scroll strewn pedestal relief carved with Adam and Eve being chased by a fallen angel, the base of Shakespeare with two printed labels, one inscribed 'The statuettes alleged to be carved from the wood of Shakespeare's mulberry-tree ......among the most attractive of the archaic carvings by Salsbee (1761)', 34cm high (max). (2) During the 18th century there was an informal tourist industry in Stratford with people visiting Shakespeare's tomb and the mulberry tree he supposedly planted at New Place. However the then owner Rev. Francis Gastrell became annoyed by the growing number of visitors and sometime in the 1750s felled the tree and later demolished New Place. Objects carved from the mulberry tree first started to appear around 1760/1770 after Gastrell sold the wood to local carvers and turners for example: Thomas Sharp and George Cooper eager to make souvenirs. At this period of 'bardolatry' drinking vessels, tea caddies, tobacco stoppers, goblets and small boxes or caskets, and similar objects carved from the wood were highly prized.
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
