18th C. Spanish Colonial Peruvian Silver Oval Platter
South America, Peru, Spanish Colonial to early Republican period, ca. 1700–1850 CE. An oval silver serving platter with a deep, smooth well and a wide sloping rim. The rim is cut into a shaped outline of gentle lobes, with sharper points, and finished with a molded, double-reeded border that follows every curve. The metal is a high-grade silver of 88 to 90 percent fineness. Faint planishing ripples and a soft, uneven luster show the work of the hand rather than a press. The shape is restrained, closer to late Baroque formality than Rococo excess. It relies on its silhouette and its moldings rather than on chased ornament. A platter of this weight and fineness was a domestic prestige object, made both to serve at table and to be seen there. Size: 2.6" H x 14.5" L x 11" W (6.6 cm H x 36.8 cm L x 27.9 cm W); silver quality: 88% to 90%; weight: 1109 grams.
For nearly three centuries, viceregal Peru drew its silver from the mines of Potosi and the Andean highlands, and silversmiths in Lima, Cuzco, and the provincial towns made it into tableware for wealthy households and religious houses. Silver was so plentiful that it went into everyday serving pieces, platters and basins included, which in Europe would usually have been made in pewter or ceramic.
The absence of marks is typical of Peruvian plate. Silver was supposed to carry assay and tax marks, notably for the quinto real, the royal fifth. In practice, much Spanish American silver left the workshop without them, whether through tax avoidance or loose local regulation. As a result, many surviving colonial and early Republican pieces cannot be dated by marks and have to be judged on form, construction, and metal content.
Provenance: private Barbara Leutwiler collection, Boulder, Colorado, USA, acquired by family descent; ex-Richard John and Joan MacCornack collection; ex-Dr. Eugene A. and Harriet MacCornack collection, originally acquired in Peru in the 1920s
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #205507
Condition
Wear to surface, scratches and minor abrasions as expected with age and use. Dark patina and oxidation. No discernable maker marks.
South America, Peru, Spanish Colonial to early Republican period, ca. 1700–1850 CE. An oval silver serving platter with a deep, smooth well and a wide sloping rim. The rim is cut into a shaped outline of gentle lobes, with sharper points, and finished with a molded, double-reeded border that follows every curve. The metal is a high-grade silver of 88 to 90 percent fineness. Faint planishing ripples and a soft, uneven luster show the work of the hand rather than a press. The shape is restrained, closer to late Baroque formality than Rococo excess. It relies on its silhouette and its moldings rather than on chased ornament. A platter of this weight and fineness was a domestic prestige object, made both to serve at table and to be seen there. Size: 2.6" H x 14.5" L x 11" W (6.6 cm H x 36.8 cm L x 27.9 cm W); silver quality: 88% to 90%; weight: 1109 grams.
For nearly three centuries, viceregal Peru drew its silver from the mines of Potosi and the Andean highlands, and silversmiths in Lima, Cuzco, and the provincial towns made it into tableware for wealthy households and religious houses. Silver was so plentiful that it went into everyday serving pieces, platters and basins included, which in Europe would usually have been made in pewter or ceramic.
The absence of marks is typical of Peruvian plate. Silver was supposed to carry assay and tax marks, notably for the quinto real, the royal fifth. In practice, much Spanish American silver left the workshop without them, whether through tax avoidance or loose local regulation. As a result, many surviving colonial and early Republican pieces cannot be dated by marks and have to be judged on form, construction, and metal content.
Provenance: private Barbara Leutwiler collection, Boulder, Colorado, USA, acquired by family descent; ex-Richard John and Joan MacCornack collection; ex-Dr. Eugene A. and Harriet MacCornack collection, originally acquired in Peru in the 1920s
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #205507
Condition
Wear to surface, scratches and minor abrasions as expected with age and use. Dark patina and oxidation. No discernable maker marks.
