AMSTERDAM, 1595, MAKER'S MARK INDISTINCT, ALSO STRUCK WITH LATER DUTCH DUTY MARK OF 1853-1927

Details

A Dutch silver wager-cup
Amsterdam, 1595, maker's mark indistinct, also struck with later Dutch duty mark of 1853-1927
Formed as two cups, an operational armillary sphere enclosing a bell between, one diagonal band engraved "Rialen"Siluer", the larger, lower cup with slightly flared rim, with moulded mid-ribs and bands of foliate scrolls and strapwork between and below the ribs, applied with lion's masks and ribbed drop rings at intervals, the smaller cup above the sphere, similarly chased, and suspended from two handles with ball terminals between two brackets cast as male and female caryatids, marked on rim, later duty mark on bowl and upper cup
16.8 cm. (6 5/8 in.) high
146 gr. (4 oz.)

Provenance

Jonkheer Dr J. Six, Amsterdam, 1912.
Joseph R. Ritman; Sotheby's, Geneva, 16 May 1995, lot 60 (to Dreesmann).
Dr Anton C.R. Dreesmann (inventory no. G-113).

Literature

E. Voet, Merken van Amsterdamsche Goud- en Zilversmeden, The Hague, 1912, p. 20, no. 18.
G. Luijten, et al., Dawn of the Golden Age, Northern Netherlandish Art, 1580-1620, Amsterdam, 1993, p. 435, no. 94, illustrated.

Exhibited

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Dawn of the Golden Age, Northern Netherlandish Art, 1580-1620, 11 December 1993 6 March 1994, no. 94, illustrated.

Special notice

Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 20.825% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €90,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €90,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 20.825% of the first €90,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €90,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually.

Lot Essay

The inscription "Rialen"Siluer" would today be written Realen zilver, indicating that the metal content was 92.7 pure silver, which is the highest standard used in the Netherlands.

A similar Dutch silver wager-cup dated circa 1600 is recorded (see J.R. ter Molen, Zilver, Rotterdam, 1994, p. 54, no. 2, illustrated). The present extremely rare form of wager-cup appears to be the earliest extant Dutch example which is fully hallmarked. The model was also made in Antwerp and it has been suggested that it came to the Northern Netherlands with refugee silversmiths arriving in the 1580's from Antwerp (G. Luijten, et al., op.cit., p. 435).

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