A French gem-set gold-mounted rock crystal bowl, attributed to Reinhold...
the base chased with strapwork and enamelled in red, black and white, the rock-crystal body carved with mythological scenes in the Milanese style, the swing-handle with strapwork and scrolling caryatid figures, the finial modelled as a serpent, with a copper plaque inscribed 'Piece en Cristal de roche avec anse' and a label 'ER/65 5-3'
25.5cm, 10in. high
Catalogue Note:
Reinhold Vasters (1827–1909)
Vasters trained as a goldsmith in Krefeld, near Aachen, before traveling to London, Paris, and Vienna to hone his craft. He exhibited pieces at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, where he was awarded a medal. In 1853, he settled in Aachen and registered his maker's mark. He specialized in elaborate ornamental vessels and Neo-Renaissance jewelry that employed traditional enameling techniques. Notably, he worked for the art historian Franz Bock and the prominent Parisian dealer Frédéric Spitzer.
At the time, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and historicism were in vogue. Consequently, it was not uncommon for goldsmiths to copy works from public collections, embellish antique pieces with additions, or create new works based on historical models. Along with the Frenchman Alfred André, Vasters was a leading figure in this trend. He worked extensively for the Rothschild family, major collectors of art objects, particularly those from the medieval and Renaissance periods. He created new motifs and added decorative elements to existing pieces; such liberties were not criticized at the time, as they allowed collectors to own complete, flawlessly decorated objects that suited their tastes. Demand among collectors was so high that this was the only way to supply enough pieces to go around.
This two-handled bowl closely resembles two other bowls by Vasters held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The first was bequeathed by Benjamin Altman in 1913 (inv. 14.40.654), and its design is preserved in the Vasters collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. E.3455-1919, E3282-1919). The second was donated by Robert Lehmann in 1975 (inv. 1.1496), and its design is also at the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. E.3458-1919). The similarity in form and decoration allows the present bowl to be attributed to Vasters without doubt, even though no corresponding drawing appears in the museum's collection. The unique feature of the present bowl is its highly elaborate handle, featuring a rock-crystal putto head set amidst scrollwork and gemstones; this handle is directly inspired by that of a bowl from the collections of Louis XIV, now in the Louvre Museum (inv. MR285), while the enamels reflect Vasters' characteristic designs.
Baron Alphonse de Rothschild (1827–1905)
The eldest son of James de Rothschild, founder of the French branch of the German banking dynasty, he followed in his father's footsteps by taking over the bank and the family business. He inherited the Château de Ferrières and upheld the family tradition of connoisseurship and art collecting. He expanded the art collection, assembling a magnificent Kunstkammer, reminiscent of a Renaissance prince, that included elaborate mounted vessels and German zoomorphic pieces. It was most likely during this period that our bowl entered the Rothschild collections, supplied by Spitzer, who commissioned Vasters to create a piece that embodied the aesthetic of the Renaissance.
The bowl remained in the family collections until it was sold by Baroness Batsheva at Christie’s, London on December 14, 2000, lot 63.
Provenance:
Baron Alphonse de Rothschild (1827-1905), Paris;
Baron Edouard de Rothschild (1868-1949), Paris; Confiscated from the above following the Nazi occupation of Paris by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg after May 1940 and transferred to the Jeu de Paume (ERR no. R 4856); Baroness Batsheva de Rothschild (1914-1999), Tel Aviv; Christie's, London, 14 December 2000, lot 63;
Christie's, New York, Exceptional Sale, 13 April 2016, lot 16
Literature:
F. Rossi; Italian Jeweled Arts; 1957; plate LXXI.
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
the base chased with strapwork and enamelled in red, black and white, the rock-crystal body carved with mythological scenes in the Milanese style, the swing-handle with strapwork and scrolling caryatid figures, the finial modelled as a serpent, with a copper plaque inscribed 'Piece en Cristal de roche avec anse' and a label 'ER/65 5-3'
25.5cm, 10in. high
Catalogue Note:
Reinhold Vasters (1827–1909)
Vasters trained as a goldsmith in Krefeld, near Aachen, before traveling to London, Paris, and Vienna to hone his craft. He exhibited pieces at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, where he was awarded a medal. In 1853, he settled in Aachen and registered his maker's mark. He specialized in elaborate ornamental vessels and Neo-Renaissance jewelry that employed traditional enameling techniques. Notably, he worked for the art historian Franz Bock and the prominent Parisian dealer Frédéric Spitzer.
At the time, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and historicism were in vogue. Consequently, it was not uncommon for goldsmiths to copy works from public collections, embellish antique pieces with additions, or create new works based on historical models. Along with the Frenchman Alfred André, Vasters was a leading figure in this trend. He worked extensively for the Rothschild family, major collectors of art objects, particularly those from the medieval and Renaissance periods. He created new motifs and added decorative elements to existing pieces; such liberties were not criticized at the time, as they allowed collectors to own complete, flawlessly decorated objects that suited their tastes. Demand among collectors was so high that this was the only way to supply enough pieces to go around.
This two-handled bowl closely resembles two other bowls by Vasters held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The first was bequeathed by Benjamin Altman in 1913 (inv. 14.40.654), and its design is preserved in the Vasters collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. E.3455-1919, E3282-1919). The second was donated by Robert Lehmann in 1975 (inv. 1.1496), and its design is also at the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. E.3458-1919). The similarity in form and decoration allows the present bowl to be attributed to Vasters without doubt, even though no corresponding drawing appears in the museum's collection. The unique feature of the present bowl is its highly elaborate handle, featuring a rock-crystal putto head set amidst scrollwork and gemstones; this handle is directly inspired by that of a bowl from the collections of Louis XIV, now in the Louvre Museum (inv. MR285), while the enamels reflect Vasters' characteristic designs.
Baron Alphonse de Rothschild (1827–1905)
The eldest son of James de Rothschild, founder of the French branch of the German banking dynasty, he followed in his father's footsteps by taking over the bank and the family business. He inherited the Château de Ferrières and upheld the family tradition of connoisseurship and art collecting. He expanded the art collection, assembling a magnificent Kunstkammer, reminiscent of a Renaissance prince, that included elaborate mounted vessels and German zoomorphic pieces. It was most likely during this period that our bowl entered the Rothschild collections, supplied by Spitzer, who commissioned Vasters to create a piece that embodied the aesthetic of the Renaissance.
The bowl remained in the family collections until it was sold by Baroness Batsheva at Christie’s, London on December 14, 2000, lot 63.
Provenance:
Baron Alphonse de Rothschild (1827-1905), Paris;
Baron Edouard de Rothschild (1868-1949), Paris; Confiscated from the above following the Nazi occupation of Paris by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg after May 1940 and transferred to the Jeu de Paume (ERR no. R 4856); Baroness Batsheva de Rothschild (1914-1999), Tel Aviv; Christie's, London, 14 December 2000, lot 63;
Christie's, New York, Exceptional Sale, 13 April 2016, lot 16
Literature:
F. Rossi; Italian Jeweled Arts; 1957; plate LXXI.
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
