Victorian silver figure of a 9th Royal Lancers officer

The fine antique silver sculpture, made by the renowned British silversmith Stephen Smith and Son in 1873, depicts an officer in full dress atop a horse on a rocky base. The fine workmanship plays between the glossy textured surface of the horse, compared to the naturalistic ground and realistic officer in uniform.

The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army which was first raised in 1715. It was in service for three centuries until it was amalgamated with the 12th Royal Lancers to form the 9th/12th Royal Lancers in 1960. By 1873, the date this piece was made, the regiment had been posted to India where it had fought at the siege and capture of Delhi in 1857 and the capture of Lucknow in 1858; where after the regiment was nicknamed the 'Delhi Spearmen' and was awarded twelve Victoria Crosses.

The piece is fully hallmarked for London, 1873, with the maker's mark for Stephen Smith & Son, who were based in Covent Garden and known for their finely executed decorative art works.