A Bern dated mortar - image-1
A Bern dated mortar - image-2
A Bern dated mortar - image-3
A Bern dated mortar - image-4
A Bern dated mortar - image-5
A Bern dated mortar - image-1A Bern dated mortar - image-2A Bern dated mortar - image-3A Bern dated mortar - image-4A Bern dated mortar - image-5

Lot 680 Dα

A Bern dated mortar

Auction 1196 - overview Cologne
20.05.2022, 10:00 - Decorative Arts incl. Highly Important Mortars the Schwarzach Collection Part IV.
Estimate: 3.000 € - 4.000 €
Result: 5.250 € (incl. premium)
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A Bern dated mortar

Golden yellow cast bronze with natural patina. Of cylindrical section with flaring rim, decorative mouldings and handles formed as the heads of two helmed and bearded men. Dated "1591" in high relief. Decorated with a frieze of bears dressed as Swiss confederates holding banners and making music. H 18.1, D 21 cm, weight c. 7.2 kg.
After a mould by Franz Sermund.

Literature

Cf. the bell dated 1571 and attributed to Franz Sermund from the tower of the Bern clubhouse, which was demolished in 1862, now housed in the Bern Historical Museum under inv. no. 601 with the same bear frieze.
A second mortar with handles formed as the heads of soldiers and the same bear reliefs dated 1593 was sold by Artcurial Paris on 12th December 2007, lot 1204.
For more on the caster Franz Sermund see Walter, Das Geläut der St. Ursen-Kathedrale in Solothurn und seine Restaurierung 2014, online under https://so.ch/fileadmin/internet/bjd/bjd-ada/pdf/ADSO15/19_de_sol_st_ursen_gelaeut_adso_2015.pdf,pS. 35.