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Auction: 4014 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 79

An Officer's Uniform of Madras Artillery A rare and exceptionally attractive mid-19th Century coatee, generally as for Royal Artillery 1831 Pattern, with scarlet cuffs, piping and skirt turnbacks, blue collar with a massive loop of wide gold "basket" lace on scarlet backing at each end, loops of similar lace on blue cuff-slashes and skirt-slashes, two rows each of ten fine gilt buttons, bearing three Guns within a crowned Strap inscribed MADRAS ARTILLERY and flanked by laurel wreath, in front, skirt-ornaments of Crown above three Guns within a wreath, four holes in each shoulder for epaulettes, quilted scarlet lining bearing label of NICHOLLS, Army Clothier and Tailor, 57 Jermyn St, St. James's (waist-seam buttons removed, epaulettes missing); a companion pair of trousers, in dark blue cloth with 1 5/8 in. stripes of gold lace as on coatee; an important Undress cap, originally peaked, bearing a Grenade in gold embroidery above band of gold lace as on trousers, wide black leather chinstrap, soft leather internal headband, crimson silk element above, with draw-string adjustment, the crown of the cap entirely lined with fine soft leather (Grenade probably a replacement, chinstrap broken, peak removed); a gilt S-hook clasp, probably for Undress uniform, with ornate loops; a pair of twisted gold shoulder-cords with "wings", for Undress jacket; a length of broad "broken bias" gold lace with deep-blue train; a gold lace girdle of light Cavalry style, with crimson stripes and olivet fastening; and a pair of brass box-spurs; together with a scarlet mess-waistcoat of cavalry style, edged with gold "Vandyke" lace and trimmed with Russia braid (lot) See illustration Estimate £ 600-900 Almost all elements of the uniform listed above were described and illustrated in precise detail in the Dress Regulations for Madras Artillery (both Horse Artillery and Foot Artillery), issued in 1842, and reproduced in Major Abbott's extremely scholarly article in JSAHR Vol LIII No 213 in 1975. While the coatee, trousers and cap are unquestionably for an officer of Foot Artillery, it is evident that the shoulder-cords, gold girdle, wide gold train-lace trouser-stripe, waistbelt-clasp and spurs would have been worn by an officer of the Horse Artillery. This suggests that (if all the items belonged to a single officer), he must have transferred at some time from Horse to Foot Artillery. There is no compelling evidence to associate the scarlet waistcoat with either Horse or Foot Artillery, since the lace on it is of a pattern used by Cavalry rather than Artillery, and, although the Madras Horse Artillery certainly wore a scarlet mess-waistcoat, the gold trimming described in the 1842 Regulations for that garment is very different.

Sold for
£4,200