HORSE FURNITURE OF GENERAL JOHN MOSTYN, CIRCA 1760

velvet housing and holster covers lavishly decorated in silver embroidery, lace and fringe conserved and mounted within a glazed frame

the frame: 165 x 139.5 cm; 65 x 55 in

Provenance

The Hon David McAlpine

The set comprises a pair of pistol holster covers and a housing intended to be attached round the edge of the saddle. The appearance of 'golden-khaki' - rather than scarlet or dark blue - as the colour for officers' horse furniture is unexpected, but is attested by portraits of the period. Sir Philip Honywood is shown using it in a naive portrait by 'follower of David Morier' after Bartholomew Dandridge (Christie's British Paintings, 23 February 1989, Lot 128) and a similarly coloured set also appears in the portrait of Colonel, the Marquess of Lothian, 24th Foot, by David Morier (Sotheby's Old Masters and British Paintings, 8 December 2016, Lot 106).

John Mostyn (1709-1779) was commissioned into Handasyde's 16th Foot in 1732 but ten years later he had become a captain-lieutenant and lieutenant-colonel in the 2nd (Coldstream) Foot Guards. He fought at Dettingen and Fontenoy during the War of the Austrian Succession, was made a Groom of the Bedchamber by George II and became colonel of the 7th Foot (The Royal Fusiliers) in 1751. Thereafter he held the colonelcies of the 13th Dragoons (1754), 5th Dragoons (1758), 7th Dragoons (1760) and the 1st Dragoon Guards (1763). He served with great distinction alongside the Marquess of Granby in Germany during the Seven Years War.