A Victorian novelty silver gorilla mustard pot,

A Victorian novelty silver gorilla mustard pot,
by Thomas William Dee, London 1862,
modelled as a seated gorilla holding a bent rifle, the hinged head set with glass eyes, the gilded interior with a clear glass liner, height 12.5cm, approx. weight 8.9oz.

Provenance: A Private Collection.

This design may be based on a story relating to Paul du Chaillu (1837-1903) an American 19th-century explorer, who, in 1856 spent three and a half years exploring a large section of the Gabon coast. On his return to New York he wrote the story of his discoveries; 'Explorations and Adventures in Equatorial Africa; with accounts of the manners and customs of the people, and of the chase of the gorilla, crocodile, leopard, elephant, hippopotamus and other animals', published by Harper Bros in 1861. He had been the first white man to see and hunt a gorilla.

One story told was of a hunting expedition and a 'Killer Gorilla'. Du Chaillu was out with a group of local guides, they split in different directions and after a while he heard the "tremendous roar of the gorilla…. instinctively we made for the spot…. the poor brave fellow who had gone off alone was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood…beside him lay his gun, the stock broken, and the barrel bent almost double. In one place it was flattened, and it bore plainly the marks of the gorilla's teeth.....this huge gorilla thought the gun was his enemy, so he had seized it and dashed it on the ground...not satisfied, had taken it up again and given it a tremendous bite…"

A pepper pot of the same design was sold in these salerooms, on 26 October 2016, lot 1249.
A three-piece condiment set of this design was sold at Bonhams, New Bond Street, Fine Silver, 2 July 2008, lot 211.