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CRAFTS

Lacquer cabinet in wonderful condition
Spa, around 1770

Video: Paint cabinet from Spa
Spa, around 1770

Fayence-Dove
Künersberg, unmarketed around 1760
Container probably for pâtés, two-part naturalistic dove finely decorated in muffle colours, minimal traces of use
Height 12.5 cm, width 21 cm
Container probably for pâtés, two-part naturalistic dove finely decorated in muffle colours, minimal traces of use
Height 12.5 cm, width 21 cm

Important Early Meissen Snuffbox with Gold Mounts
Meissen, porcelain around 1723/24
Gold mounts, mid-18th century
Fine Meissen hard-paste porcelain; underglaze blue crossed-swords mark and "K.P.M." inscription (1723–24); featuring an elaborately crafted solid gold mount.
The exterior is decorated with painted hunting scenes. The inside of the lid features a finely executed portrait—likely of Princess Maria Anna of Saxony—depicted in hunting attire with her dogs.
The box was originally produced as undecorated white porcelain; its high-quality gold mounts and fine enamel painting were added in a subsequent stage of production. Stylistic features of the mount convincingly date it to the mid-18th century, suggesting that this embellishment was created to mark the 1747 marriage of Princess Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony to Elector Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria.
Provenance:
Collection of Maximilian Freiherr von Goldschmidt-Rothschild (1843–1940), Frankfurt am Main.
Acquired by the City of Frankfurt in 1938 as a result of Nazi persecution and transferred to the Museum für Kunsthandwerk (Museum of Applied Arts), Frankfurt.
Restituted to the heirs of the Goldschmidt-Rothschild family in 1949.
Sold via the New York art market in 1957.
Later in the collection of Annie Laurie Crawford, New York.
Its unbroken provenance, tracing back to one of Europe's most significant private collections, lends the object exceptional historical and collecting significance.
Height 5 cm, Width 6.7 cm, Depth 4.6 cm
Gold mounts, mid-18th century
Fine Meissen hard-paste porcelain; underglaze blue crossed-swords mark and "K.P.M." inscription (1723–24); featuring an elaborately crafted solid gold mount.
The exterior is decorated with painted hunting scenes. The inside of the lid features a finely executed portrait—likely of Princess Maria Anna of Saxony—depicted in hunting attire with her dogs.
The box was originally produced as undecorated white porcelain; its high-quality gold mounts and fine enamel painting were added in a subsequent stage of production. Stylistic features of the mount convincingly date it to the mid-18th century, suggesting that this embellishment was created to mark the 1747 marriage of Princess Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony to Elector Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria.
Provenance:
Collection of Maximilian Freiherr von Goldschmidt-Rothschild (1843–1940), Frankfurt am Main.
Acquired by the City of Frankfurt in 1938 as a result of Nazi persecution and transferred to the Museum für Kunsthandwerk (Museum of Applied Arts), Frankfurt.
Restituted to the heirs of the Goldschmidt-Rothschild family in 1949.
Sold via the New York art market in 1957.
Later in the collection of Annie Laurie Crawford, New York.
Its unbroken provenance, tracing back to one of Europe's most significant private collections, lends the object exceptional historical and collecting significance.
Height 5 cm, Width 6.7 cm, Depth 4.6 cm

Porcelain Snuff Box
Meissen around 1750
Tabatière in the form of a woven lidded basket with fine scattered flower painting on the outside and gallant company, noble lady with two cavaliers and moor holding with her train in park landscape, massive wavy gold mount.
Height 3 cm, Width 5.9 cm, Depth 5 cm
Tabatière in the form of a woven lidded basket with fine scattered flower painting on the outside and gallant company, noble lady with two cavaliers and moor holding with her train in park landscape, massive wavy gold mount.
Height 3 cm, Width 5.9 cm, Depth 5 cm

Porcelain Tobacco Box
Meissen 1740
With two lids that can be opened upwards
Model Johann Joachim Kaendler
All around decorated with putti in various activities with park or landscape background, solid gold mount,
Provenance: Maximilian Baron von Goldschmitt-Rothschild
Height 4.7 cm, Width 9.4 cm, Depth 6.8 cm
With two lids that can be opened upwards
Model Johann Joachim Kaendler
All around decorated with putti in various activities with park or landscape background, solid gold mount,
Provenance: Maximilian Baron von Goldschmitt-Rothschild
Height 4.7 cm, Width 9.4 cm, Depth 6.8 cm

Porcelain-Tabatiére
Meissen around 1750
Very fine painting attributed to Johann Georg Heinze
Outer surfaces and inside of the lid finest painting with watteau and comedy scenes in park landscape, inside completely gilded, fine gold mount with owner's engraving
Height 3.4 cm, Width 5.4 cm, Depth 4.4 cm
Very fine painting attributed to Johann Georg Heinze
Outer surfaces and inside of the lid finest painting with watteau and comedy scenes in park landscape, inside completely gilded, fine gold mount with owner's engraving
Height 3.4 cm, Width 5.4 cm, Depth 4.4 cm

Agate bowl on baluster foot
Probably Prague, around 1600
small three-part oval foot bowl made of agate with mount in silver, gilded with enamel in shell decoration and emeralds
Height 5.4 cm, Width 5.8 cm, Depth 4.5 cm
small three-part oval foot bowl made of agate with mount in silver, gilded with enamel in shell decoration and emeralds
Height 5.4 cm, Width 5.8 cm, Depth 4.5 cm

Important portal clock
Paris around 1810
Workshop Thonissen (1806-1830)
(see Tardy page 613)
On a rectangular base in Bleu-Turquin marble, on a high pedestal, between two standing conically fluted columns with a ball at the end, a round clock mounted, crowned by the goddess Athena, rich original gilded bronzes, dial signed.
Height 50 cm, Width 40 cm, Depth 15.5 cm
Workshop Thonissen (1806-1830)
(see Tardy page 613)
On a rectangular base in Bleu-Turquin marble, on a high pedestal, between two standing conically fluted columns with a ball at the end, a round clock mounted, crowned by the goddess Athena, rich original gilded bronzes, dial signed.
Height 50 cm, Width 40 cm, Depth 15.5 cm

A Pair of Neoclassical Stoneware Covered Amphorae
Kassel, around 1780
The vessels stand on square bases and feature two „à la Grecque“ handles each; the bodies are decorated with floral festoons, while beneath the handles appear antique-style mask appliqués glazed in a light color—matching the handles and the lid finials.
Height: approx. 50 cm
The vessels stand on square bases and feature two „à la Grecque“ handles each; the bodies are decorated with floral festoons, while beneath the handles appear antique-style mask appliqués glazed in a light color—matching the handles and the lid finials.
Height: approx. 50 cm

Neuwied casket
David Roentgen workshop, Neuwied, around 1780
Oak body with mahogany veneer, with its original fire-gilt bronze fittings, carrying handle and lock.
The design, dimensions, and layout of this oak veneered mahogany casket are similar to a casket dated around 1785 in the Berlin Museum of Decorative Arts: simple rectangular shape with carrying handle, the body divided by gilt brass strips, bands and profiles, the keyhole uncovered. Inside, an insert closed with a roll-top lid and side pedestal drawers that pop out at the touch of a button as secret compartments.
Between 1755 and 1790, significantly over a hundred different models of the highly popular caskets from the Roentgen workshop are documented. The importance of this item in the workshop's range is demonstrated by the portrait of Susanna Maria Roentgen, wife of Abraham and mother of David Roentgen, in 1772 with a casket made by her husband's hand.
Length: 29.5 cm, width: 16.5 cm, height: 17 cm
Cf.: State Museums, Foundation for the Cultural Heritage of Prussia, Berlin, Arts and Crafts Museum, Inv. 35.93
Dietrich Fabian, “Roentgenmöbel aus Neuwied”, Bad Neustadt 1986, p. 280 ff., esp. figs. 672 and 673
Oak body with mahogany veneer, with its original fire-gilt bronze fittings, carrying handle and lock.
The design, dimensions, and layout of this oak veneered mahogany casket are similar to a casket dated around 1785 in the Berlin Museum of Decorative Arts: simple rectangular shape with carrying handle, the body divided by gilt brass strips, bands and profiles, the keyhole uncovered. Inside, an insert closed with a roll-top lid and side pedestal drawers that pop out at the touch of a button as secret compartments.
Between 1755 and 1790, significantly over a hundred different models of the highly popular caskets from the Roentgen workshop are documented. The importance of this item in the workshop's range is demonstrated by the portrait of Susanna Maria Roentgen, wife of Abraham and mother of David Roentgen, in 1772 with a casket made by her husband's hand.
Length: 29.5 cm, width: 16.5 cm, height: 17 cm
Cf.: State Museums, Foundation for the Cultural Heritage of Prussia, Berlin, Arts and Crafts Museum, Inv. 35.93
Dietrich Fabian, “Roentgenmöbel aus Neuwied”, Bad Neustadt 1986, p. 280 ff., esp. figs. 672 and 673

Cymbal beater bowl
Nuremberg, around 1520
A central quatrefoil motif with stylized floral bundles is chased from the beaten sheet brass.
Cymbal beater bowls were an export hit of the Free Imperial City until the beginning of the 16th century. They were produced in accordance with graphic motifs from Schedel's World Chronicle, printed in Nuremberg in 1493, and with designs by the Nuremberg masters Albrecht Dürer, Sebald and Barthel Beham or Georg Pencz.
Diameter: 37 cm
A central quatrefoil motif with stylized floral bundles is chased from the beaten sheet brass.
Cymbal beater bowls were an export hit of the Free Imperial City until the beginning of the 16th century. They were produced in accordance with graphic motifs from Schedel's World Chronicle, printed in Nuremberg in 1493, and with designs by the Nuremberg masters Albrecht Dürer, Sebald and Barthel Beham or Georg Pencz.
Diameter: 37 cm

Large tureen
Porcelain, with underglaze sword mark with star (1774-1813), Neu-Brandenstein form (from 1744), press marks 3rd and 42nd, overglaze painting in bold colours, and gilding.
The tureen and salver belong to the form with plaited relief patterns developed by Eberlein in 1741 for the head chef at the Saxon court, Friedrich August von Brandenstein. The impressively lifelike decoration with native birds appears to have been inspired by Albin's ornithological work, which is documented in the manufactory's library and which the editor illustrated from life together with his daughter Elizabeth Albin.
Plate: length: 46 cm, width: 28 cm
Tureen: length: 40 cm, width: 22 cm, height: 30 cm
Total height: 32 cm
The tureen and salver belong to the form with plaited relief patterns developed by Eberlein in 1741 for the head chef at the Saxon court, Friedrich August von Brandenstein. The impressively lifelike decoration with native birds appears to have been inspired by Albin's ornithological work, which is documented in the manufactory's library and which the editor illustrated from life together with his daughter Elizabeth Albin.
Plate: length: 46 cm, width: 28 cm
Tureen: length: 40 cm, width: 22 cm, height: 30 cm
Total height: 32 cm

Fabergé purpurin cat
St. Petersburg, around 1900
Cat sitting upright with raised head, the bushy tail curled around the front paws, the fur carved in detail from the stone, the eyes made of faceted green demantoids.
In the original wooden case, the silk lining with the court supplier's mark of Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920) and the names of the branches: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Odessa. Fabergé opened the Odessa branch in 1890, and it existed until 1918.
Purpurin, like obsidian, is a volcanic rock glass. However, purpurin is artificially produced from glass that is fused with pure gold, giving it an opaque, bright red colour. The production of porporino was discovered in the Vatican mosaic workshops of Alessio Matteoli in the 18th century but was then forgotten. An employee of Fabergé rediscovered the old production process around 1890 and improved it. Purpurin was then used exclusively by Fabergé.
A similar cat figurine made of agate with emerald cabochon eyes - a gift from the Tsarina's mother Maria Feodorovna to her sister Thyra - is depicted in Habsburg.
Height: 2.9 cm
Cf. Géza von Habsburg: “Fabergé-Cartier, Rivalen am Zarenhof”, exhibition catalogue, Munich 2003, no. 326
We would like to thank Alexander von Solodkoff for his expertise.
Cat sitting upright with raised head, the bushy tail curled around the front paws, the fur carved in detail from the stone, the eyes made of faceted green demantoids.
In the original wooden case, the silk lining with the court supplier's mark of Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920) and the names of the branches: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Odessa. Fabergé opened the Odessa branch in 1890, and it existed until 1918.
Purpurin, like obsidian, is a volcanic rock glass. However, purpurin is artificially produced from glass that is fused with pure gold, giving it an opaque, bright red colour. The production of porporino was discovered in the Vatican mosaic workshops of Alessio Matteoli in the 18th century but was then forgotten. An employee of Fabergé rediscovered the old production process around 1890 and improved it. Purpurin was then used exclusively by Fabergé.
A similar cat figurine made of agate with emerald cabochon eyes - a gift from the Tsarina's mother Maria Feodorovna to her sister Thyra - is depicted in Habsburg.
Height: 2.9 cm
Cf. Géza von Habsburg: “Fabergé-Cartier, Rivalen am Zarenhof”, exhibition catalogue, Munich 2003, no. 326
We would like to thank Alexander von Solodkoff for his expertise.
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