Irish silver cup and cover marked for Dublin 1897 by John Smyth, after ‘The Fownes Cup’ by Thomas Bolton dated 1695 and inscribed:
‘THE FRAME TROPHY
Presented to
THE BLOEMFONTEIN TURF CLUB
by
MR D. FRAME’
Dimensions: 69 cm high by 25.5 cm base diameter by 22 cm top cup diameter by 24.5 cm top lid diameter.
Weight: 4.213 Kg
This silver cup and cover is modelled on ‘The Fownes Cup’ by Thomas Bolton dated 1695 and belongs to the Corporation of Dublin, currently in the Mansion House. In 1695 Sir Joseph Williamson the principle Secretary of State in England was presented with the freedom of Dublin. In reply to this honor, he presented to the city a large silver goblet-shaped cup, with baluster stem modeled on the wine cups of the time. Made by Thomas Bolton one of Irelands most talented silversmiths it featured the Williamson crest of an eagle issuing from a coronet. Known as the ‘The Williamson Cup’ it was one of two, made by Thomas Bolton. The second cup later the ‘The Fownes Cup’ also made in 1695 differs slightly, being shorter and having a different baluster stem and base. This was presented by Sir William Fownes a wealthy merchant in Dublin who was Sheriff of the City in 1697-8. His grant of Arms in 1694 also included an eagle and ducal coronet. He presented this cup in 1700 in recognition of a lease granted by the City which had equal value to the one presented by Williamson.
In 1897 John Smyth would have been granted access to this cup and allowed to copy it, after which it was presented to The Bloemfontein Turf Club by Mr D. Frame and named The Frame Trophy.