Sir Robert Abercromby

Signed jewellery pieces by the Scottish silhouette artist Samuel Houghton are rare not least because Houghton’s career was cut short by his premature death in 1796. Having initially trained with John Miers during the 1780s, Houghton established his own silhouette studio in Edinburgh around 1791.

Wearing a ‘physical’ wig arranged in neat rolls at the back, the sitter in this well-painted piece is Sir Robert Abercromby, 3rd Baronet of Birkenbog. Born in 1705, he was the third but eldest surviving son of Sir James and Mary Abercromby. In 1739 he married his first cousin Helen Abercromby  and by her had two sons and four daughters.

The silhouette is signed Houghton under the bustline and is set in a gold bracelet clasp frame, the reverse with an aperture filled with blonde hair is engraved ‘Sir Robt Abercromby Bart / died 11 March 1787 Aged 82’.

Unfortunately the silhouette has a diagonal crack that runs edge to edge across the bottom third. This is however only apparent under magnification and is barely visible to the naked eye. It also has a short indent to the reverse as shown.

Ivory Exemption Ref.: WSTP3H28