The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Burgh, Captain (fl. early 1600s - )
Richard Temple, editor of Mundy's Travels notes: "Mr D. G. Hogarth, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, to whom I am indebted for the above information, tells me that under a pencil drawing of the stone in an Ashmole MS at the Bodleian Library (1131-183) is a note in 17th century handwriting (? Ashmole’s) as follows:- “The draught of a cherry-stone whereon St George on ye one side and divers heads on the other by Capt. Burgh and given by him to Mr John Tradescant who preserved it amongst the rarities.” The drawing shows the two faces of the stone enlarged some 3 diameters, with a sketch of the stone natural size beside. About 80 heads are arranged concentrically on one side. Mr Hogarth is of opinion that the note under the drawing leaves the question open as to whether the stone itself was ever in Tradescant’s hands or only Captain Burgh’s drawing of it. But, judging from Mundy’s usual accuracy of statement, I fell convinced that the cherry-stone was among the “rarities” that he actually saw" (2 n.1)Donator of object(s)
Relationships: Burgh was a donor to John, the Elder Tradescant (c.1570s-c.15 Apr 1638)
Linked print sources: as Mentions or references - The Travels of Peter Mundy, in Europe and Asia, 1608-1667.
References in Documents:
Peter Mundy's description of the Tradescants' Ark in his travel diary (1634) [4] In a catalogue of the Tradescant collection, published
in 1656 , these objects are
thus described: "Mechanick artificiall Works in Carvings . . . A
Cherry-stone, upon on side S. George and the Dragon, perfectly cut:
and on the other side 88 Emperours faces . . . Variety of Rarities.
Severall sorts of Magnifying glasses: Triangular, Prismes,
Cynlinders." Under "Medalls" are enumerated Gold (5), Silver (55),
Copper and Lead (52). J. T. [John Tradescant junior] , London,
1656. It is doubtful whether the carved cherry-stone seen
by Mundy at Lambeth was sent to Oxford with the rest of the "rarities" handed over to
Elias Ashmole by Tradescant’s widow . It is not in existence
now, but among the Tradescant
specimens at the Ashmolean Museum
are six plum or "apricock" stones carved in the same manner with
minute figures. A drawing of the cherry-stone is, however,
preserved. Mr D. G. Hogarth ,
Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum ,
to whom I am indebted for the above information, tells me that under
a pencil drawing of the stone in an Bodleian
Library (1131-183) is a note in 17th century
handwriting (? Ashmole’s ) as
follows: "The draught of a cherry-stone whereon St George on ye one side and divers heads on
the other by Capt. Burgh and
given by him to Mr John
Tradescant who preserved it amongst the rarities." The
drawing shows the two faces of the stone enlarged some 3 diameters,
with a sketch of the stone natural size beside. About 80 heads are
arranged concentrically on one side. Mr Hogarth is of opinion that the note under the drawing
leaves the question open as to whether the stone itself was ever in
Tradescant’s hands or only
Captain Burgh’s drawing of
it. But, judging from Mundy's
usual accuracy of statement, I feel convinced that the cherry-stone
was among the "rarities" that he actually saw. The particular
magnifying glass described by Mundy cannot be traced in the Ashmolean Museum .
Musæum Tradescantium; or A Collection of Rarities Preserved at South Lambeth neer London. By
Ashmole MSat the