An important early trophy for women's tennis: The Buxton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament Challenge Silver Bowl for the Ladies Doubles All England Champion

An important early trophy for women's tennis: The Buxton Open Lawn Tennis Tournament Challenge Silver Bowl for the Ladies Doubles All England Championship competed for between 1896 and 1902, the large rose bowl embossed the acanthus scrolls, rose heads and hatched decoration surrounding two engraved cartouches bearing BUXTON OPEN LAWN TENNIS TOURNATMENT CHALLENGE BOWL FOR THE LADIES DOUBLES ALL ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP and the second with the winners names dating from 1896 to 1902 including three time winners Mrs Pickering and Miss Robb, raised upon a waited circular pedestal base with similar embossed decoration, the base engraved TO PEG FROM THE WINNER 27TH JUNE 1936, hallmarked London 1896 by Wakely and Wheeler, diameter 28cm., height 18cm., weight approx. 1164gm.  Prior to 1913 Ladies’ Doubles was a non -Championship Event at Wimbledon and the Ladies Doubles All England Championship was held in the quiet English Spa town of Buxton in the Peak District. The first winners in 1887 were Lottie Dod and May Langrishe. In 1893, 1894 & 1895 the tournament was won by Mrs Hillyard and Mrs Steedman, and upon the third victory the trophy was retired and the players were allowed to retain it. What is being sold here is the new trophy first competed for in 1896. This trophy too was to be retired after the 1902 competition when Mrs Pickering and Miss Robb won it for a third time. The engraving to the base informs us that the trophy was later presented to "Peg" on 27th June 1936. Provenance: Mellors & Kirk auction, September 2019, Lot 173.