Iziko Slave Lodge--Cape Town

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dognose
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Iziko Slave Lodge--Cape Town

Post by dognose »

Iziko Slave Lodge
Corner Adderley & Wale Streets
Cape Town
South Africa.

The Heller Collection of Cape Silver

The Heller Collection of Cape Silver consists of hollowware and flatware made by all the best-known silversmiths working at the Cape during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 - 17:00
Closed Sundays, Workers Day Friday and Christmas Day.

Admission:
Visitors 16 years and older: R15.
Under 16 years free
South African pensioners, school learners and students: R5

http://www.iziko.org.za/sh/collections/silvcol.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
rat-tail
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Re: Iziko Slave Lodge--Cape Town

Post by rat-tail »

Hi all
Visited the museum while in Cape town last week so just thought I would jot down a few impressions.

Firstly the museum, situated in the old Dutch East India Company slave quarters, is primarily aimed at telling the story of slavery - the slaves, their names, their origins, the skills they brought to the Cape, the conditions they lived in, and the abolition movement. Their memory. So most of the energy has gone into these exhibits. Highlight here is probably the Georgian drum table that William Wilberforce and a group of abolitionist MPs sat around to plot the anti-slavery campaign.

The building itself is interesting. After the abolition it was used as a garrison, and later the supreme court was built in the courtyard and it served as offices for the Cape parliament. Architecturally it's worth a visit if only for the massive yellowwood beams that make it's ceilings.

The silver itself is unfortunately poorly displayed. There is little information on the silversmiths who made the objects, just a name, and no display of the marks, unfortunately. Also no details of the society they worked in or the tools and skills required. For someone who collects boxes a label "a collection of snuff boxes" for six or seven small boxes was quite exasperating.

The Cape collection consists of five cabinets, two of flatware. Highlight is probably the Merchant's cup by Townsend. It was the prize of the Green Point races (probably more or less where the new stadium is today) until their demise in the late 19th century. It is a substantial, ornate, and probably a late Georgian or early Victorian affair. Also of interest was a truly enormous and profusely carved ivory tankard with silver trim which is probably Cape, but could be Dutch or Batavian. I fell in love with what was described as a trinket box but is probably a sugar or large spice box by Combrink - completely plain with reed borders top and bottom and curved and canted edges on the lid. It was nicely made, and I would have loved to open it. Also on display a number of sugar bowls with the distinctive Cape floral finials on the lid, a couple of coffee pots with similar, a basting spoon by Hausenius with a snake wrapped around the base of the handle; and two of the most monstrous basting spoons I have seen, by Combrink (I think). The larger would be over 60cm long, the bowl is longer than the average table spoon. Oh and some queens pattern spoons by Waldek - so it would seem to confirm that kings and queens pattern was made at the Cape.

There was however no sign of the famed bible clasps that the Cape is known for, and if memory serves me correctly, nothing by Twentyman, whom I thought was the most prolific of the Cape silversmiths. Also very little from the Eastern Cape (Grahamstown) smiths.

There are also a couple of cabinets of English silver - Georgian mainly although one or two Stuart dog nose and trefid spoons. The highlight here is a silver trimmed coconut cup, something I certainly hadn't seen before. There is a small display of C18 German, French and Dutch pieces; a cabinet with a collection of Russian cloisonne spoons which is very poorly catalogued (the overiding impression here is a sea of turquoise); and quite a large collection of early Indonesian silver (which is barely catalogued at all - a pity considering the slave museum focus). There is also a display of C18 pocket watches (a beautiful french gold and tortoiseshell one); and some early Cape Masonic jewels, mostly made in England. Other rooms are devoted to weapons, toys and dolls and musical instruments.

Still definitely worth a visit. With Cape silver so rare, it must be one of the larger collections, and definitely worth seeing despite the lacklustre display. Entrance is now R20 - a shade under £2 - so if you're in this beautiful city, pop in.

Thanks Frank
dognose
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Re: Iziko Slave Lodge--Cape Town

Post by dognose »

Hi Frank,

Many thanks for your detailed review. It certainly appears that the museum is not making the best of what must be a very interesting collection, which is a shame for all concerned. Let's hope they drop by here sometime and come across your thoughts and make the effort to detail such worthy and important pieces.

Thanks again,

Regards Trev.
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