A rare Heilbronn silver gilt columbine cup and cover
Round, lobed base supporting a baluster form shaft with three scroll appliques and waisted cup with droplet shaped lobes and finely chased flowerheads in strapwork cartouches. Engraved with a dedication below the rim "Soviel Tropfen dieses hält soviel Holtz man bey uns fällt = Soviel Seegen = Glück und Heil, werde unserm Chef zutheil. Dieses wünsheten . Anno 1756 *", the lobes below engraved with the names and titles of 24 forestry workers, five of which bear the surname Haberkorn with various initials. The domed lid with conforming décor and crowned by a model of a lion holding a lance. H 52.5 cm, weight 953 g.
The cup with unidentified maker's mark "HH", the finial with marks of Daniel Kaufmann, c. 1620/30.
This goblet was almost certainly given as a gift to a high-ranking forestry official from Hesse. So far, three of the names listed in the engravings have been identified: Friedrich Wilhelm Haberkorn (Windhausen 1701-1778 Gießen), who became head forester in Giessen in 1769; his brother head forester Johann Justus Haberkorn (Windhausen 1694-1771), and Georg Conrad Haberkorn, government and forestry secretary of Grünberg (Windhausen 1692-1774 Grünberg, 1723 married in Darmstadt). All of them were members of a large family of Hessian foresters that was first documented in Windhausen in the 16th century and occupied many positions in the forestry administration of Hesse.
For their gift, which was apparently presented in 1756, the donors chose a 17th century goblet from Heilbronn with an impressive finial made in Strasbourg in 1659.