1775 Ticket For The Mansion House Ball Printed In Red on Silk, The Design Engraved By Francesco Bartolozzi RA After a Design By Giovanni Battista Cipriani RA.

Printed in terracotta-red on silk, the ball being held on April 17th 1775 at The Mansion House in London, hosted by the Lord Mayor John Wilkes. The elaborate design features Iris, the divine messenger surrounded by five frolicking putti, the text panel at foot inscribed:

“The Ball At The Mansion House April XVII. MDCCLXXV The Right Hon.ble Iohn Wilkes, Lord Mayor”

John Wilkes (1725 - 1797) had become Lord Mayor of London in 1774 and was a well know radical political agitator of the day, supporting the idea of American Independence. Ironically, the ball was held two days before the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, events which hastened the start of the American War of Independence. 

This is a real curiosity and I have been unable to find another example printed on silk. The British Museum hold nine examples, all of which are printed on paper with several being in a brownish hue and/or proof examples. The Royal Academy of Arts hold just the printed ticket in black and The London Museum unusually do not seem to hold a copy. Its purpose is therefore unknown and a real mystery. A printing on silk would suggest a special presentation due to the cost of the silk in the 18th Century, not to mention the difficulty in producing a high quality image on a porous product. 

Overall size approx. 224x278mm., Image approx. 180x198mm., tiny nick in the upper right corner, the reverse showing small paper adhesions to each corner where removed from backing paper, some peripheral fraying to the silk. However, the colour is fresh and bright as is the silk, so overall in a fine state of preservation.