Fabulous beasts and fabulous collections in the auctions of silver, objets de vertu, furniture, ceramics, and porcelain

A large tapestry invites the viewer to take a stroll through a landscape filled with surprising wildlife. Together with fantastic masterpieces from important collections, it will be auctioned in Cologne on 21st November.

Looking at the complex and diverse images on the Verdure ‘forêt sauvage à feuilles de choux’, the line between reality and fantasy seems to blur. The 16th-century tapestry, attributed to the workshops of Abusson, measures 312 by 328 centimetres and depicts mythical creatures alongside realistic representations of native and exotic fauna, all set in a realistic landscape. This monumental piece is ideal for special collections. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the large tapestry was long owned by the Flemish textile entrepreneur Louis De Poortere. Now it is coming to Cologne and is one of the outstanding items in the decorative arts auction, with an estimated price of €70,000 to €80,000.

A further rarity from the 16th century is being auctioned in the form of a historically significant mazer double-cup. In the 16th century, these special drinking vessels were believed to have the ability to neutralise any poisons poured into them. The piece, dated to around 1500, was formerly part of the important Walter von Pannwitz collection. Not only are the two nesting wooden bowls of this piece remarkable, but art historians have also taken note of the gilded copper mountings, especially the handle in the form of a Gothic building. This outstanding piece is being offered at an estimated price of €25,000 to €30,000.

The traditionally strong selection of silverware includes a large columbine cup with shellwork decoration from a French collection, just one example of the high-quality pieces in the auction. The domed cover of this work by master craftsman Philipp Pepfenhauser features a figure of the goddess Fortuna holding a billowing sail. Created between 1618 and 1620, this cup (H 41 cm, weight 567 g) has an estimated price of €15,000 to €20,000.

Among the examples of modern silverware, items from the important Seawolf Collection particularly stand out. These include objects such as a sugar bowl by Christopher Dresser with a scoop that is guided into the vessel by an integrated wire. The estimated price for this work, created in 1881 (H 12; W 16.5; D 9.5 cm, weight 292 g) is €3,000 to €4,000. More extensive is a complete travel service, also by Christopher Dresser and originating from the Seawolf Collection. The complete service, featuring a teapot with a baste handle, a rechaud and burner, a tea caddy, a milk jug, a sugar bowl, a biscuit dish and a silver-plated folding tray, is estimated at between €4,000 and €6,000. A gem among the works of Arts and Crafts design from the Seawolf Collection is a piece decorated with flowers in polychrome enamel which, following earlier discussion, art historians now unanimously attribute to Archibald Knox (H with handle raised 15.5; W 8.8; D 6.5 cm, estimated price €6,000 - €8,000).

Another icon of modern silverware is Emmy Roth, whose works were in high demand at the recent Lempertz auction and fetched high prices. Another example of her work will be auctioned on 21st November, this time a service consisting of a coffee pot, sugar bowl, milk jug and oval tray, which she created in Berlin in the 1920s – estimated price €12,000 to €15,000.

Among the many significant items of porcelain in this auction is an important flute vase with a powder blue ground and Stadler chinoiseries produced at Meissen in around 1730–35. It stands out from the form commonly used in Meissen at the time due to a special feature: Instead of lavish bouquets of flowers, its decoration features the Chinese figures with fans typical of Johann Ehrenfried Stadler, the decorator responsible for this piece. A similar vase is held in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Cologne specimen, from the Rolf Strerath collection, will be auctioned at Lempertz with an estimated price of €30,000 to €40,000.

The same collection also includes a rare teapot made of so-called ‘iron porcelain’, a metallic iridescent form of Böttger stoneware. Objects made from this unusual material continue to puzzle art historians: No one has yet been able to analyse its origins precisely. This 12.3 cm high example of a vessel made from the mysterious iron porcelain has an estimated price of €15,000 to €25,000.

A highly significant tankard, that has also been published in specialist literature, is coming to auction from a private collection in Frankfurt (vessel H approx. 17, with thumb rest H 21.2 cm, estimated price €15,000–25,000). The piece, acquired from the Röbbig art dealership, depicts a water landscape with three nymphs and two fauns, marked with the monogram WR for Wolfgang Rössler. The Nuremberg silversmith, who was sworn in as a master in 1682, demonstrates his craftsmanship with this jug: A precious mount made of gilded silver, also marked by him, combined with a finely painted design in black enamel.

Jan Bykowski
Press and Public Relations
info@lempertz.com
Tel. 0221 925729 -57