A George V presentation silver casket to Lord Carson By Gibson & Co Ltd, Donegal Place, Belfast, with hallmarks for Birmingham, 1915 On a stepped oak and velvet-covered plinth, flanked by two free standing supporters; Britannia and Belfast, the casket supported on six scrolling acanthus feet, centred by a cartouche-shaped panel inscribed 'This casket contains the certificate of the elections and admission of the Rt. Hon Sir Edward Henry Carson, PC, LLD, KC, MP as an honorary burgess of the city and County Borough of Belfast', and with enamel plaques depicting the Ulster Volunteer Hospital Belfast for Wounded Soldiers & Sailors, another showing the City Hall, Belfast, to the sides with plaques showing a union jack and a red hand and to the reverse with further plaques showing the arms of the Carson family, the Unionist Clubs of Ireland and the signing of the covenant, Ulster Day, Sept. 28th, 1912, with scrolling acanthus leaves at the corners, containing an illuminated burgess ticket for the burgh of decorated with Belfast dated 4th August, 1914, the scroll with silver-gilt end panels applied with badges for the Unionist Clubs of Ireland and the signing of the covenant, Ulster Day, Sept. 28th, 1912, the pull-off lid chased with panels of shamrocks and maritime emblems and surmounted by the arms of the City of Belfast in enamels, not weighable, height 20cm, length 31.2cm. Footnotes: Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC, PC (Ire) (1854-1935), from 1900 to 1921 known as Sir Edward Carson, was an Irish unionist politician, barrister and judge, who served as the Attorney General and Solicitor General for England, Wales and Ireland as well as the First Lord of the Admiralty for the British Royal Navy. From 1905 Carson was both the Irish Unionist Alliance MP for the Dublin University constituency and leader of the Ulster Unionist Council in Belfast. In 1915, he entered the war cabinet of H.H. Asquith as Attorney-General. Carson was defeated in his ambition to maintain Ireland as a whole in union with Great Britain. His leadership, however, was celebrated by some for securing a continued place in the United Kingdom for the six north-eastern counties, albeit under a devolved Parliament of Northern Ireland that neither he nor his fellow unionists had sought. He is also remembered for his open-ended cross examination of Oscar Wilde in a legal action that led to Wilde being prosecuted, gaoled and ruined. Carson unsuccessfully attempted to intercede for Wilde after the case. For another casket awarded to Carson, see Bonhams, Lot 126, The Irish Sale Vision & Voice, 17-28 November 2023, Dublin. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing