Decorative ornament - United Kingdom
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Antique Victorian commemorative metal desk ornament with an engraved plaque dated 1861, featuring a bronze and gold colour scheme, a 25 cm height and 23 cm base diameter, about 1 kg in weight, originating from the United Kingdom and presented as a student’s gift to a teacher.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Victorian commemorative desk object with engraved dedication – 1861
(Student gift to teacher – Edinburgh Academy, Scotland)
⸻
Description
Elegant metal desk decoration on a base, with the original engraved plate dated 1861.
The plate bears the following inscription:
“Presented to Mr. … by his attached pupil Robert Jameson Torrie – 1861”
This is a typical Victorian academic gift, probably offered by a student to their teacher or tutor at the end of a course of study.
Provenance
The item is linked to:
Edinburgh Academy
Prestigious Scottish school attended by the era’s cultural and scientific elite.
Historical records of the school show:
• Robert Jameson Torrie student from 1861 to 1868
⸻
Connection with historical figures
In the same period, the school was also attended by:
• Robert Louis Stevenson (famous author of Treasure Island)
who studied at Edinburgh Academy from 1861 to 1863
This places the object in the same school environment as one of the most important writers of the 19th century.
⸻
Family background
The Torrie family was connected to the Scottish scientific milieu:
• Thomas Jameson Torrie, geologist and member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Indicates provenance from a cultured family well integrated into Edinburgh’s academic elite.
⸻
Object interpretation
The object most likely represents:
• a Victorian educational gift
• offered by a student to their tutor or teacher (Mr. Henderson/Anderson?)
• in 1861, year of entering the school.
The phrase:
“attached pupil”
was typical of the language of the time and indicated a student particularly close to their master.
⸻
Era
• Exact date: 1861 (engraved)
• Period: Victorian era (reign of Queen Victoria)
⸻
Materials
• metal framework
• base
• original engraved plate
⸻
Condition
• good overall condition
• patina consistent with age
• engraving easily readable.
⸻
Collecting interest
Highly interesting item for:
• Victorian memorabilia collectors
• history of British education
• academic objects
Measurements: height 25 cm, base diameter 23 cm
Victorian commemorative desk object with engraved dedication – 1861
(Student gift to teacher – Edinburgh Academy, Scotland)
⸻
Description
Elegant metal desk decoration on a base, with the original engraved plate dated 1861.
The plate bears the following inscription:
“Presented to Mr. … by his attached pupil Robert Jameson Torrie – 1861”
This is a typical Victorian academic gift, probably offered by a student to their teacher or tutor at the end of a course of study.
Provenance
The item is linked to:
Edinburgh Academy
Prestigious Scottish school attended by the era’s cultural and scientific elite.
Historical records of the school show:
• Robert Jameson Torrie student from 1861 to 1868
⸻
Connection with historical figures
In the same period, the school was also attended by:
• Robert Louis Stevenson (famous author of Treasure Island)
who studied at Edinburgh Academy from 1861 to 1863
This places the object in the same school environment as one of the most important writers of the 19th century.
⸻
Family background
The Torrie family was connected to the Scottish scientific milieu:
• Thomas Jameson Torrie, geologist and member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Indicates provenance from a cultured family well integrated into Edinburgh’s academic elite.
⸻
Object interpretation
The object most likely represents:
• a Victorian educational gift
• offered by a student to their tutor or teacher (Mr. Henderson/Anderson?)
• in 1861, year of entering the school.
The phrase:
“attached pupil”
was typical of the language of the time and indicated a student particularly close to their master.
⸻
Era
• Exact date: 1861 (engraved)
• Period: Victorian era (reign of Queen Victoria)
⸻
Materials
• metal framework
• base
• original engraved plate
⸻
Condition
• good overall condition
• patina consistent with age
• engraving easily readable.
⸻
Collecting interest
Highly interesting item for:
• Victorian memorabilia collectors
• history of British education
• academic objects
Measurements: height 25 cm, base diameter 23 cm
Details
Era
1400-1900
Weight
1 kg
Style subtype
Victorian
Material
Metal
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Style
Antique
Colour
Bronze, Gold
Condition
Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes
Height
25 cm
Width
23 cm
Depth
23 cm
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