Silver Goodwood Prize Trophy by Edmund Cotterill of Garrard

The Goodwood Prize Trophy
Garrard
Designed by Edmund Cotterill
Hallmarked London, 1841

Created for one of Victorian Britain’s most prestigious horse races, this monumental Goodwood Prize Trophy is an extraordinary masterpiece of sculptural silver by royal silversmith Garrard, designed by the celebrated Edmund Cotterill. Weighing approximately 350 troy ounces, the trophy reflects the extraordinary wealth, prestige and artistic ambition associated with the great racing cups of 19th-century Britain. Its significance was recognized upon its creation, with a contemporary newspaper praising the composition for displaying “a purity of imagination rarely if ever excelled in sculpture.” Exceptionally, the trophy also retains its original fitted case.

Executed entirely in sterling silver, the composition depicts the climactic defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, the conflict that ended Richard’s reign and ushered in the Tudor dynasty under Henry VII. Cotterill captures the battle at its most dramatic moment, with Henry raising his sword above Richard amid a turbulent field of fallen horses and soldiers. Armor, weaponry, figures and animals are modeled with remarkable precision, while the tightly orchestrated composition conveys a sense of movement and theatrical intensity more commonly associated with monumental sculpture than presentation silver.

Garrard stood among the foremost silversmiths of Victorian Britain, producing important commissions for the Crown as well as elaborate trophies for the nation’s leading sporting events. During the 19th century, firms such as Garrard and Hunt & Roskell competed to create increasingly ambitious works for races including the Goodwood, Ascot and Doncaster Cups, transforming sporting prizes into dazzling demonstrations of technical and artistic virtuosity. Edmund Cotterill was particularly celebrated for his sculptural designs, and few of his works rival the scale and complexity of this trophy; among his best-known creations is his sculptural group of Queen Victoria’s dogs at Buckingham Palace.

The trophy bears Garrard’s Panton Street, London stamp and London hallmarks dating to 1841 and weighs approximately 350 troy ounces.

30 3/4" high x 19 1/2" wide x 23" deep