Table clock with Muse and writers. Blued and gilded bronze, Paris machinery. France, 19th century. Machinery in perfect working order. Table clock in burnished and gilded bronze with Paris machinery and a white dial with a gilded bronze centre (Roman numerals for the hours, lines for the minutes and Breguet-type hands). The rectangular pedestal is raised on supports and has an architectural decoration; the base of the clock, also rectangular, shows plant crowns with scrolls enhancing cartouches (with names: Virgile, Tasse, Homere, Racine, Voltaire); the dial and the machinery are housed in a gilded bronze piece that resembles a bookcase, on which appear books, a laurel wreath and a musical instrument. A burnished bronze female figure, dressed in a tunic, holds this kithara, a plucked string instrument typical of ancient Greece, similar to the lyre (the difference is the sound box, so it could be a lyre in the present). The female figure would be a Muse: these classical divinities of Greek mythology inspired the arts; daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, companions of the god Apollo in his retinue, each one is related to a branch of art and knowledge. She is linked to the lyre Calliope (muse of eloquence, beauty and epic poetry) and to the zither Erato (muse of lyrical-love poetry). As for the names mentioned, the first refers to Publius Virgil Maro (70 BC-19 BC), Roman poet author of the Aeneid, the Georgics, etc. who was also known for his role as guide in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. The French name “Le Tasse” refers to Torquato Tasso (1544-1595), Italian poet author of Jerusalem Delivered, Rinaldo, etc. Homer is the name given to the person credited with the authorship of the Iliad and the Odyssey, bases of Greco-Latin epic literature. Racine is the surname, among others, of the French playwright Jean Racine (1639-1699) and his son and poet Louis Racine (1692-1763). François-Marie Arouet (Paris, 1694-1778), better known as Voltaire, was a French writer, historian, philosopher and lawyer, with numerous literary and philosophical writings. Curiously, there is evidence of an Empire clock (located in a private French collection) in the shape of a library with books, very similar to the one in this piece. And it is worth remembering that the high specialization of French bronze makers, which gave rise to high-quality works of art, meant that several pieces of the same model were created if it was popular with the aristocracy and the upper class. For this reason, there is evidence of several clocks, with slight differences from the present one (especially in the dial and in the absence of blued bronze), kept in private collections and dated to the beginning of the 19th century. Weight: 12.7 kg.
Devotional plaque; Last Supper, Christ on the Mount of Olives. Wood, tinted ivory and engraving. Towards the end of the 16th century, following models by Jan Sadeler I (active 1550-1600). Rectangular carved wooden plaque with a ring and a hole on the back, which features two ovals on the front with biblical themes highlighted with dark wood frames decorated with square diamond points above and below and rectangular ones on the sides, and winged angel heads in the corners that these two compositions leave free. On the left, the Last Supper appears at the top, with Christ under a canopy and accompanied by Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles on both sides; below, Judas receiving the bag of coins; the space is completed by a series of architectural elements, angels, fabrics, plant motifs, scrolls, etc. with a clear classicist influence. On the right, the theme of Christ on the Mount of Olives, with Jesus raising a hand towards the chalice offered to him by an angel and accompanied by two sleeping Apostles, and with two soldiers; below, and through a door, the Arrest of Christ; The composition is completed and organized by a series of bands ending in volutes, architectural and vegetal motifs, etc. with a classicist influence. Both scenes are closely inspired by two engravings from the series “Passio Verbigenae Quae Nostra Redemptio Christi”, published by Jan Sadeler I (active 1550-1600) between 1575 and 1600 and inspired by Marcus Gheeraerts I (Bruges, 1516/21-London, c.1590). Engravings from this series are held in many prominent museums around the world (British Museum in London, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, etc.). According to experts, around 1580, the artist Marcus Gheeraerts designed this series of the Passion of Christ, framed, highlighted, hierarchized and structured thanks to an elaborate and delicate system of grotesques and other classicist elements that he applies to the iconographic themes it presents. At the time of the creation of prints, and later during the Baroque, the use of engraved (or carved) ivory or bone plaques was common on furniture, lecterns, altars for personal devotion, devotional plaques, etc. Compare, for example, Flemish school desks, Neapolitan school desks, etc. such as the one dated c. 1600 in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (workshop of Iacobus Fiamenco, Flemish; active Naples, Italy, 1594–1602; with scenes based on engravings by Dirk Volkertsz; Coornhert, Netherlandish, 1522–1590; after designs by Maarten van Heemskerck (active Haarlem and Rome, 1498–1574)). Also worth mentioning are pieces such as the reliquary altarpiece of the Brotherhood of the Blood of Christ in the Church of Santa Isabel de Portugal (San Cayetano) in Zaragoza, which presents religious scenes based on engravings by Antonius Wieris (1555/9-1604).
Writing desk in turned, cast and chiseled silver, Madrid, 18th century (1779). Contrasting marks on the edge of the tray, on its underside. “AL” ownership mark. A tray with curved profiles is supported by four legs shaped like plant elements. Attached to it are the four containers that make up the writing desk. These, and the bell, have a magnificent decoration based on flat turned scallops on their body, base and lid. It is made up of a tray, a sandpit or sandbox (for drying ink) with a bell (to call the servant or the person in charge of carrying the written message or note) and three inkwells or feather dusters with lids, all attached to the lid by means of through screws. The profiles of the tray correspond to works from the period and style of Charles III, while the jars still show part of the movement that characterised Rococo, already introducing the clean lines characteristic of Neoclassicism. In the second half of the 18th century, with the accession of Charles III to the throne, Italian influences came to silverware once masters from this country had established themselves, either as silversmiths or, in many cases, also as bronze makers. At the end of the century, there was also an abandonment of Rococo forms in favour of the Neoclassical style, whose particularities can be seen in this writing desk. These scalloped forms come from decorations based on ancient Roman art on which this second artistic style was based, as do the plant elements. Madrid would set the standard in art as it was the capital of the kingdom, and the continuous movement of pieces and the relative ease of communication and transmission of drawings and engravings make it difficult to distinguish particular styles and trends in many cases. Likewise, it is worth highlighting the great role in improving the quality of silverware designs played by the foundation of the School-Workshop by Antonio Martínez in 1778. It has a town mark, Madrid Corte y Villa 1779, and its creator. Weight: 1850 gr.
Jug or jar. Silver. DE SAN FAURÍ, Juan (1745-1785). Spain, Madrid, towards the end of the 18th century. With hallmarks and engraving marks, and property name (Ochoa). The jar has an oval base with slight curves and a body divided into two areas (wider at the bottom, slightly concave at the top) with a series of curved “segments”; the spout shows simple architectural decoration and smooth areas; the handle is of a type known as a tornapunta, with classicist architectural elements; the lid follows the lines of the body and is finished with a vegetal shape creating a knob. On one of the sides, towards the foot, there is the engraved text “Ochoa”, in reference to some former owner. The hallmarks indicate that the piece was made in Madrid. Another of those that appears could be one of those used by the silversmith Juan de San Faurí. With Philip V, numerous French influences came to silverwork, along with some Italian ones, both from the hands of craftsmen from these origins and from pieces. There was still little marking on the works except in important centres such as Madrid, and civil typologies acquired great importance. As in the rest of the country, the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical tendencies coexisted at the Court, although, as it was the centre that set the tone for the rest, the former soon moved away, introducing Rococo before 1740 or at that date, and Neoclassicism around 1770 (gradually imposing itself from 1780). The jug follows the most common prototype since the arrival of the Bourbons, characterised by its European influence and by the great difference it shows with the type known as “jug with spout”. Compare with the cruet by Francisco García (inventory 03487) from the Cerralbo Museum in Madrid, with the example from Medina-Sidonia (code 59906, Catalogue of the Movable Heritage of Andalusia), or with examples from the National Museum of Decorative Arts, pieces preserved in Museums and Treasures of Spanish Dioceses, etc. Weight: 1050 grams.
Writing instrument with four inkwells and a bell. Silver. Madrid, Platerías Martínez, 1819. With contrast marks. Silver writing desk in its colour, composed of a rectangular tray (raised on four claw-shaped legs with softened corners), four containers (two with holes in the lids, two without) and a bell in the centre. Both the decorative elements (very few in number) and the lines of the different elements respond to a clear influence of European Neoclassical models. Hallmarks can be found on the bases of the four vessels and on the tray. These link the piece with the city of Madrid and with the so-called Platerías Martínez. The Real Fábrica de Platería de Martínez was founded in 1778, and represented the introduction in Spain of the industrial manufacturing method in the field of silver work and of neoclassical aesthetics in Spanish silverwork. It was also one of the most important silver centres in the history of Spain, and was characterised by the originality of its designs and the perfect finish of its pieces. Compare, for example, with the pieces kept in the Museum of History of Madrid, although similar models to the present one can be found in private collections. Weight: 2,239 grams.
Pocket sundial compass, with case. Bronze. BUTTERFIELD, Michael (1635-1724). Paris, circa 1700. Pocket sundial made of engraved metal, with a gnomon in the shape of a bird with a triangle with an engraved tree, and a compass with a needle in dark metal; in this area there is also engraved “Butterfield AParis 43”. On the back, the latitudes of various cities (Madrid, Paris, Barcelona, etc.) have been engraved, and a decorative architectural element has been placed in the centre of the piece. The case, adapted to the piece, has a lined interior to better protect it. Michael Butterfield was a mathematician who made measuring instruments based in Paris from the last quarter of the 17th century onwards and continued working until the beginning of the 18th century. Although he was of English origin, he collaborated with the Royal Academy of Sciences in the French capital and worked as an engineer at the court of Louis XIV. It is known that he opened a shop in Saint-Germain in 1677, from which he sold sundials. Similar model in silver auctioned at Christies London on November 17, 2009. Lot 106
Wine-tasting flask or shivering flask. Silver in its color. Spain, 16th century. With contrast marks, Illegible. Stemless and handleless cup, silver in its own color and with a circular base, a rim that flares outwards and a center that concave upwards on the inside. It features embossed decoration based on plant elements (flowers on the rim, other flowers towards the center around a central floral motif and alternating with rectangular motifs), veneered shapes (interspersed with flowers on the rim), and a small band of stars towards the edge of the piece. At this end, it has a partially foiled hallmark, on which the letters "AIEB" can still be read, followed by a vertical rectangular motif. These types of drinking cups, sometimes also known as bernegales, were used on special occasions (ceremonies, etc.), hence their material and decoration. They were very common during the reign of the Habsburgs in Spain. Although they were objects for civilian use, it was not unusual for them to be donated or commissioned for use in churches or liturgical settings. Similar examples can be found in very few private collections and only in a few important museums. For example, similar 16th-century bernegales are preserved in the Fundación Valencia de Don Juan (Madrid), and 17th-century ones are somewhat more abundant, as evidenced by those in the Lázaro Galdiano Museum (inventory 3910 and 3916).
Wine tasting glasses. Silver. Possibly Navarre, Spain, circa 1700. Wine-tasting glass with a foot made of silver in its own color. The foot features a decoration of plain moldings, and the top has a scalloped and raised centerpiece with plant motifs in alternating bands with oval mirrors around it, followed by a recessed area and, towards the outside, a band with semicircular arches with teardrops and simple elements at the top, all closed by a pearl chain. Stylistically, they are very reminiscent of Miguel de Amasa's 1697 design for his examination to become a master silversmith. Compare also with the two salvillas that follow this design and are preserved in the Museum of Workmanship of the Church of San Saturnino in Pamplona (Navarre, Spain), which are considered the work of Miguel de Amasa, made in Pamplona and dated 1697 (these bear a hallmark, the double P crowned with a chain border, which was used in Pamplona silverwork between 1652 and the first quarter of the 18th century). Weight: 294 grams.
Lock. Wrought iron. Spanish School, 17th century. A working wrought iron deadbolt with a key features a push-button mechanism on the lower right side to lift the cover concealing the keyhole. The key is opened in two steps by inserting the key. The key features a decoration of moldings and pearls, along with a tribolulated ring. The deadbolt features a series of elements on the outer edge, influenced by architecture and arranged symmetrically and balanced, following classicist motifs. The bar consists of a tubular section and a flat section (at one point, another decoration similar to that of the deadbolt appears). Also noteworthy is the heraldic shield-shaped section with a closed crown in the lock's escutcheon area. Compare this work with, for example, the lock shields of ancient Spanish chests such as those preserved in the Museo Casa de Cervantes in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), with locks from churches, convents and other important ancient institutions (the bolt of El Escorial in the Museum of Royal Collections of National Heritage in Madrid, the doors of the Hospital of the Third Order in Madrid, etc.), or pieces such as the 17th-century Sevillian bolt from the collection of the Museo Español de Antigüedades, now preserved in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional (inventory 52014). Weight: 4 kg.
Sundial with compass and case. Bronze. BION, Nicolas. Paris, 18th century. Polygonal sundial with a bird-shaped gnomon and an engraved triangular piece, which has, on one side, a compass with a needle with triangular ends. The name of the author and the place where the work was made are located right next to it, surrounding a vegetal decoration. On the back, a series of cities with their corresponding latitudes have been engraved, both in the circular form and on the sides of a fixed decorative element. It is presented in a polygonal case. Nicolas Brion was a French engineer, and a similar piece is kept in the National Maritime Museum in London.
Jug. Silver. Anselmo Prior y Mason. Vitoria, Spain, between 1816 and 1846. With contrast marks. Silver jug in its colour with a square base that serves as a support for the circular foot decorated with a band of eggs and ending in a scalloped shape, which gives way to the oval body, engraved with architectural, plant and animal elements; practically tubular neck with a band of egg motifs and another at the top with architectural elements, and a soft spout; lid with a swan, and the handle has a Medusa head in the area where it joins the body, a series of bands of architectural motifs and, creating a curve and towards the mouth, a two-headed snake that seems to intend to attack the bird. Typologically, the jug clearly responds to neoclassical models of the 19th century both in its lines and in some of its decorative elements (some close to the French school and others somewhat more common in the English school), adding to this base some details more common in Spanish works. The hallmarks, located at the base of the piece, link its creation in Vitoria, with the hallmark called Maison (actually 18th-19th centuries, probably as a hallmark in the 19th century) and the silversmith named Prior. Anselmo Prior was a master dated between 1816 and 1846. There is evidence of a head reliquary marked by both of the Eleven Thousand Virgins in the parish church of Alegría (Álava, Spain). Weight: 992 grams.
Centerpiece. Gilded bronze, marble. France, late 19th century Centrepiece or planter that has a globular body carved in veined marble in pink tones (of a type similar to a very popular one often used in works by the French school during the Rococo of the 18th century) and mercury-gilded marble bosses. These are decorated with lion's claws on the legs, simple architectural mouldings and masks with vegetal elements (feminine and monstrous, alternating), and a border that extends towards the inner area of the pieces creating like two wings or handles, decorated with vegetal and architectural elements (scrolls, flowers, bows, leaves, etc.) both on the outside and inside of this area, leaving what would be the inner area of the marble pieces smooth. The classicist inspiration of the decorative elements of the couple is common in works of the French school since the 18th century. Some details (for example, the claws that finish the legs) are seen in Louis XIV style centerpieces dating from that century, while other elements are more often seen in Louis XVI style works (one of the main styles of the Neoclassical style). There is only one known piece preserved in a private collection in the United States of America. Weight: 16 kg
Jug. Silver. Madrid, Spain, 1803. With hallmarks. Published in the Encyclopedia of Spanish and Viceroyal American Silver. Bibliography: Fernández, Alejandro; Munoa, Rafael; Rabasco, Jorge. “Encyclopedia of Spanish and Viceregal American Silver”. Second edition, corrected and expanded. Torreangulo Graphic Art, Madrid, 1985. Page 361, image 671. Jug with a moulded circular base and a semi-ovate belly on which a concave neck is raised by a band. The mouth, with a sinuous line, is highlighted with another fine smooth moulding and is warped at the front; it is covered with a lid that follows the same lines and is finished with a frog. The handle has a broken line, ends in plant motifs and is highlighted with a wide, smooth band or moulding towards the centre of the jug. This jug can be included in a group inspired by a traditional European model brought to Spain and initially spread by Platerías Martínez (compare, noting similarities and differences, with the silver jug in its colour marked in 1806 from the Royal Silver Factory of Madrid in the National Archaeological Museum, also topped with a frog on the lid; or with a jug from Barcelona dated around 1810, preserved in the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid). In 18th century Spain, it was the capital that set the standard in silverwork: baroque, rococo and neoclassical styles coexisted, but the first trend was soon abandoned, replaced by the second, which was introduced around 1740, with Neoclassicism appearing around 1770 and gradually imposing itself from 1780. The hallmarks it presents are those of the Villa y Corte de Madrid, which also allow the piece to be dated. Weight: 1,100 grams.
Oriental ship's rudder, late 18th – early 19th century. Carved wood and brass. An oriental ship's wheel with an English influence, made of brass and high-quality carved wood. The top of the wheel is worked in a round shape, taking the form of a greyhound's head with stylised features. The greyhound is a typical motif in English decorative arts of the period, but its essential, elongated and sinuous treatment reminds us that we are looking at a piece of oriental craftsmanship. In fact, the central area of the wheel is completely carved with the figure of a dragon coiled around the mast. This mythical animal represents the power of change in nature, the Tao, as well as the concept of yang (masculine), and is related to time as a bringer of rain and water. It is also often used as a national symbol of China, and in fact appeared on the national flag until the end of the Qing dynasty. Here he is depicted with great attention to detail, evidencing a virtuosity typical of oriental ornamental sculpture: we see each of the dragon's scales, and even the ripples of the water beneath its body, the leaves among which it swims... The lower third of the rudder is almost completely unadorned, displaying a smooth, slightly curved profile. At its end it is decorated with a simple recessed carving, with a geometric motif on two planes.
Jug. Silver. Madrid, 1847. With contrast marks. Silver jug in its colour, with a flat handle decorated with simple openwork plant elements between two smooth bands and a raised shape towards the top, a large mouth that extends forward, and a body with different lines and decorations organised in three registers, and a circular foot with a band of architectural motifs. These three registers are organised: a smooth area towards the top, followed by a grooved part and another ribbed part. Both the decoration and the lines of the jug show a clear classicist influence. It has engraved initials of ownership (FAL). The hallmarks are those of Villa y Corte de Madrid (which also provide the date) and that of the silversmith Juan Sellán, trained at the Real Fábrica de Platerías de Martínez in 1821 and incorporated into the Colegio de Plateros in 1842, the year in which his first known works are dated. The present model can be found with slight variations in the production of the Real Fábrica de Platerías Martínez in Madrid, and was later taken up by Juan Sellán. Weight: 1108 grams.
Lectern easel, 19th century. Magnificent carved wooden easel decorated at the top with a crest of plant motifs framed by a curved pediment and simple motifs on the sides. The support for the canvas or paper is provided by a horizontal crossbar and two mouldings with plant motifs, which also have plant decorations, as does the moulding located in this area. The legs have ornaments of the same type, but much flatter. In the 19th century, the mixture of styles that is presented in this work was very common: the top trim is reminiscent of Rococo works, while the sides can be more closely related to the Renaissance.
Fifteen medallions with profile portraits. Hard wood, metal. 19th century. A set of tondos with a hanging ring displaying profile portraits of historical figures on the front and an inscription and number on the back. Bois durci is a paste of very fine sawdust (usually ebony or rosewood) mixed with albumen (blood or egg white) or gelatin, which was poured into molds to give the desired shape through pressure and heat. It was a technique patented in Paris in 1885 by François Lepage and has been widely used in the manufacture of small objects ever since. The sitters are indicated by name: “Prince Albert” (Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, consort of Queen Victoria of England), “Napoleon, Prince Imperial / né le Mars 1856” (Napoleon Eugene Louis Bonaparte, son of Napoleon III and Eugenie de Montijo), “Conte Camillo Benso di Cavour” (Camillo Paolo Filippo Giulio Benso, Count of Cavour, Italian statesman and important figure on the road to Italian unification), “F. Mendelssohn” (Felix Mendelssohn, German Romantic composer, conductor and pianist), “Michael Cervantes” (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the Spanish writer), “Napoleon II Empereur / 1859” (Carlos Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870), “St. Vincent de Paul” (Saint Vincent de Paul, French priest of the 18th century canonized in 1737), “Victor Hugo” (French Romantic poet, playwright and novelist, who was also an influential politician and intellectual of the 19th century), “J. Haydn” (the Austrian composer known as Joseph Haydn), “Rossini” (Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer famous for his operas –The Barber of Seville, Othello, William Tell…-), “Pius IV POntifex Maximus” (Giovanni Angelo Medici was elected Pope of the Catholic Church with the name of Pius IV between 1559 and 1565), “Leopold I Roi des Belges” (Leopold Beorg Christian Friedrich was a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who became the first King of the Belgians in 1831), “WA Mozart” (the well-known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a German composer, pianist, conductor and teacher, master of classicism), “Beethoven” (Ludwig van Beethoven[a] was a German composer, conductor, pianist and piano teacher), “Victoria Queen of England” (Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901). Some private collections and institutions, such as the National Museum of Romanticism in Madrid, hold similar specimens to the present ones.
Advertising poster, Guerra y Ruiz, Exporters of Cognac-Style Wines and Sherry Brandy (…), Jerez de la Frontera. Cardboard. Valencia, Spain, first half of the 20th century. It has marks. Poster made in Valencia by Lit. S. Durt for the company Guerra y Ruiz, which is mentioned in the Statutes of the Guild Association of Breeders-Exporters of Jerez de la Forntera Wines (Jerez, Typographic Workshops: Plaza del Carmen, 1, 1921).
Poster, Buen Suceso Pharmacy and Chemical Laboratory in Jerez de la Frontera. Cardboard. Possibly Spain, circa the first half of the 20th century. It has marks. Poster for a shop interior advertising the Buen Suceso pharmacy and chemical laboratory in Jerez de la Frontera, which was opened at 12 Calle Caballeros by Antonio Soto Flores (1866-1926) after completing his pharmacy studies in Madrid and returning to Jerez. He maintained this business until the beginning of the 20th century, when he transferred it to Manuel Salvago. In the 1920s, the business was run by Rafael Bonald. Apparently, part of the pharmacy's original decor can be seen in the Café Central on Calle Remedios.
“Col Chemise” necklace, in 18k rose gold and platinum, with decoration of simple 8/8 cut diamonds. Designed as a necklace with a box, it is constructed by a double “Brick link” chain that develops on its front face a ribbon decoration decorated on its bezel by diamonds set in platinum in the form of a crescent festoon finishing off, creating a shirt collar from the center of which hang two beehive-shaped tassels. Weight: 135 grm Diamonds set: 136 Approximate weight: 6.50 Cts. Period and style: Chevalier. Typology: “Col Chemise”, Circa 1945-50
Altar top. Embossed silver in its colour, wood, mirrors. LLORENTE, José (1760-1799); SOTIL, Juan Antonio (1754-1768). Vitoria, Spain, 18th century. With contrast marks. Altar top made of embossed silver in its colour on a wooden core with seven oval-shaped mirrors and profiles cut in curves and counter-curves. The upper part has a canopy imitating textiles from which hang a series of small bells and shelters a dove with outstretched wings, situated in front of a ventral figure and a cloud with winged angel heads. Approximately the upper three quarters of the work show a decoration in light relief with sun rays, scrolls, rocailles, oval mirrors, circular tears resembling rain, flowers, leaves, a bunch of ears of wheat next to a vine with a bunch of grapes, etc. combined with five mirrors and following a symmetrical arrangement; the remaining part does not have reliefs but does have two mirrors. This type of liturgical goldsmith's work was relatively common in churches, cathedrals, etc. with significant purchasing power and influence, although not many of those made have survived because they are valuable materials that can be melted down and looted at certain times. Let us mention, highlighting the differences, the silver Altar of the Cathedral of Seville (16th-17th centuries, several silversmiths), the set of the main chapel of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (17th century), the Manifestador-Tabernacle of the Cathedral of Valencia from the 18th century, the silver altarpiece of the Diocesan Museum of Huesca (work of José Estrada and Juan and Jerónimo Carbonell y Gros made between the 17th and 19th centuries, which was placed in front of the Main Altarpiece of the Cathedral, and has a canopy and pendant bells), a display for the Blessed Sacrament made of gilded silver and in its colour dated in the 18th century and which is found in the Museum of the Cathedral of Segovia, etc. The presence of the Holy Spirit (a dove) and the bunch of wheat ears and the vine with the bunch of grapes would link the piece with the Eucharist, and it is possible that it is a fragment of an altar (permanent or not) of a monstrance. Stylistically, it is clear that the work belongs to a Rococo that was already somewhat advanced. The hallmarks present in various parts of the silver place the creation of the finial in Vitoria (Spain), also providing an approximate date (around the 18th century's 60s) and the names of two master silversmiths: Juan Antonio Sotil or de Sotil (possibly the hallmark) and José Llorente. Juan Sotil was a silversmith based in Vitoria who also worked as a hallmark for the city (the City Council appointed him appraiser of diamonds and precious stones in 1751, and hallmark for the city in 1769, a position he held until 1779, when he resigned and Mauricio Llorente was appointed). Works with his hallmark are preserved in prominent institutions such as the Museum of Sacred Art in Vitoria (Reliquary of Santa Lucía from the hermitage of Santa Lucía in Vitoria, 18th century). José Llorente was another silversmith from Logroño. He passed his master's exam in Burgos, and is documented between 1760 and 1799. Works with his punch are preserved in the Church of Santiago de Logroño (portaviático), the Old Cathedral of Vitoria (four candlesticks), etc.
Pair of candelabras. Rouge Griotte marble, gilded bronze. France, possibly Napoleon III, 19th century. Pair of seven-light candelabras made of marble and mercury-gilded bronze. The base, raised on four legs, has plant borders around a central element on its fronts, and gives way to a garland base of Roman influence. Next, the base of the “vase” that forms the body of the candelabra has been decorated with plant elements, also present on the body in the form of garlands, joining these two ram heads; note the extraordinary length of the marble neck, which serves as an axis for the arms of the lights, worked in the form of plant scrolls ending in vase-shaped burners. It is also worth noting that the marble part is not made in one piece. Although there is no record of the signature, certain details denote the high quality of this pair of candlesticks. First, the stone pieces are hand-carved Rouge Griotte. Also known as Rouge du Roi, it is a Belgian marble highly appreciated in decorative arts of French influence or origin. Second, the detail of the neck, elongated and drawing a flared mouth at the end, is not at all common in French candlesticks when we talk about marble. Third, the quality of the gilding is clear, surely mercury gilded (ormolu). Stylistically, influences of French decorative arts of the 18th century can be appreciated (ram protomes, garlands, etc.), but reinterpreted in the style of the 19th century (adding details of Rococo, neoclassical, etc. influence). Weight: 39 kg.
Four columns. Iron. 17th century Four iron supports with a polygonal shaft, balustrade shape and upper part with two sections on the sides of the central one ending in volutes and a horizontal part in the same material as the rest. This type of architectural element was very common in Spain even well into the 20th century in certain areas. Total weight: 620 kg
Gate. Wrought iron, 16th century. Partial gate with squared bars and moulded splits, without a base and bolt on the right, with a plaque topped by simplified plant elements, topped by a frieze of canvases decorated on the front with plant scrolls alternating with heraldic shields with fleurs-de-lis and with an upper crest composed of two flowering pineapples at the outer ends and schematic scrolls with flowers, two of which flank a fleur-de-lis Latin cross with diamonds above which is a wavy saltire with flowery finials. Typologically, this is a partial architectural grille or gate with both ornamental and defensive purposes. It also clearly displays some of the striking decorative and typological variety common in Florid Gothic ironwork of the 15th century, but it also reflects developments common in the 16th century. A first stage of evolution, towards the Renaissance, is introduced, sometimes extending into the first third of this century, and is characterized, among other things, by the variety of barring, with frequent combinations of square and square shapes in a single section; by the structure of three panels of very similar width and number of bars and a central door with a lintel; by decorative elements related to the Renaissance, the use of embossing, etc., characteristics that can be appreciated in the present example. The absence of interbody bands, common in grilles of this period, only indicates that it was made to protect a small chapel. The presence of fleurs-de-lis indicates the spread throughout the peninsula of Catalan models, which, coming directly from France, often featured this decorative element. The relationship between this grille and certain Gothic heritages is clear, especially when compared with fully Renaissance examples such as the one in the National Archaeological Museum from 1575 (inventory 57551). Normally, 16th-century grilles are found, if they have been preserved at all, in the chapel for which they were made, in prominent private collections, or in important museums. Compare this work with the grille at the head of the Church of San Julián de Nagore (Navarre) or that of the Chapel of the Most Holy in the Cathedral of Santa María la Real in Pamplona.
Meet new items in catalog promotion news: do not miss the opportunity to learn about the latest.
This website uses cookies, which are text files located in the browser of the user who visits the page. Some are tecnical and essential for navigation and others help analyze the use made by users of the website to improve their user experience. You accept cookies by clicking the acceptance button.
