#71 • Robert Cruickshank Hudson's Bay Fur Trade Silver Gorget Necklace

Part of June 2026 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $425.00

Status: Sold

Category: Jewelry

An exceptional and historically important example of Canadian fur trade silver jewelry, attributed to renowned Montreal silversmith Robert Cruickshank (1774-1809). The necklace consists of a strand of large faceted translucent green glass trade beads suspending a broad scalloped silver gorget centered by an oval green glass cabochon and finely engraved with a radiating starburst motif and delicate rocker decoration. Stamped "HB" devices representing the Hudson's Bay Company flank the central panel and are repeated throughout the three suspended Lorraine cross pendants below, each decorated with engraved burst motifs. Both the gorget and central pendant are struck "MONTREAL," while the suspension loops are marked "RC," identifying the work of Robert Cruickshank, among the most accomplished silversmiths working in Montreal during the height of the North American fur trade. Trade silver ornaments such as this were produced for Indigenous clients and served as symbols of prestige, diplomacy, and exchange within the vast commercial networks of the Canadian fur trade. The hand-struck hallmarks, engraved decoration, and large faceted green trade beads exhibiting characteristic bubbles and irregularities are consistent with late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century manufacture. Presented in a fitted display case. The central gorget measures approximately 6" x 8", with an overall necklace length of approximately 24". This remarkable piece represents an outstanding survival from the early Canadian fur trade and combines the names of two iconic institutions of that era—Montreal master silversmith Robert Cruickshank and the Hudson's Bay Company, founded in 1670.