An important Utrecht parcel gilt silver plaque with the gathering of the manna
Rectangular plaque with 22 mounting holes filled with pins. Depicting the Biblical scene with Moses and Aaron on the left against a panoramic landscape background. H 44.5, W 23.5 cm, weight 690 g.
Utrecht, marks of Nicolaes Verhaer, 1724.
This magnificent plaque depicts a scene from the Old Testament, an episode from the 2nd Book of Moses (Shemot or Exodus). Manna was the food given by God to the Israelites during their wanderings in the desert. It fell from heaven at night and could be gathered in the morning. The bread of heaven is described as "white as coriander seed," with the taste of honey cake. The gathering of the food was done under the supervision and with the admonition of Moses, shown with stick and nimbus on the left, behind him is Aaron with the censer.
The plaque originally adorned a tabernacle door. A second door, also made by by Nicolaes Verhaer in 1724, is housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (BK-1969-16-A). The Amsterdam copy depicts the scene "David and the Shewbread" (1 Sam. 21).
Nicolaes Verhaer was born in Utrecht around 1685, the son of the painter Arnoldus Verhaer. He began an apprenticeship as a silversmith in 1697 and became a master in 1710. Between 1737 and 1750 he was also an examiner of the silversmiths' guild.
Literature
Cf. Frederiks, Embossed Plaquettes Tazze and Dishes from the Renaissance Until the End of the Eighteenth Century, The Hague 1952, p. 496 ff. Further items by Nicolaes Verhaer in the Centraalmuseum Utrecht, including a silver sculpture of Saint Joseph under inv. no. 11363 and a set of four altar candelabra from 1724 under nos. 15254, 15257, 15258 and 15259. Cf. Weber, Deutsche, niederländische und französische Renaissanceplaketten, Munich 1975, no. 1010, for a stylistically similar Dutch plaque with a rounded top depicting the death of St. Peter Martyr in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Ingrid Weber also mentions the painting by Titian. Cf. ibid. N. 697 (without illus.)