A cut glass goblet with the arms of Imperial Count Friedrich Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim
A cut glass goblet with the arms of Imperial Count Friedrich Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim
Round base with stylised leaf motifs supporting a polygonal shaft with round node and tapering cup engraved with the count's monogram CFS flanked by palm fronds. H 22 cm.
Thuringia, around 1730 - 40.
Friedrich Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim was born in Mainz in 1674 as the son of a high-ranking civil servant and embarked on a clerical career at an early age. He received his first benefice at Würzburg Cathedral in 1683. After studying at the universities in Würzburg and Mainz, he travelled to Italy. His uncle, Elector Lothar Franz von Schönborn, entrusted him with diplomatic duties. In 1700, he became canon of St Alban's Cathedral in Mainz, followed by posts at Würzburg and Bamberg Cathedrals. One of Emperor Joseph I's first official acts was to appoint him Imperial Vice-Chancellor in 1705. In 1706, Frederick Charles had the Schönborn Palace in Vienna built by Lucas von Hildebrandt, who later also supervised the extension of the Blue Court in Laxenburg.
After the death of his uncle in 1729, he succeeded him as Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and shortly afterwards was given the second office in Würzburg. His reign is characterised by the construction or renovation of almost 100 church buildings and palaces, the most famous of which are the Würzburg Residence and Münsterschwarzach Abbey. He died in Würzburg in 1746.
King Frederick II's sister, Margravine Wilhelmine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, characterised him in her memoirs as follows: "The person we are talking about here was educated in Vienna. His great abilities helped him to the post of Imperial Chancellor, an office he held for a long time. When the bishoprics of Würzburg and Bamberg became vacant due to the death of their bishops, the court in Vienna used this opportunity to reward Schönborn for his services and was able to exert such an influence on the election that he was appointed administrator and bishop of these two bishoprics. He can rightly be considered a great genius and a great politician.
His character also corresponds to this last quality; for he is false, treacherous and cunning; his nature is arrogant, his mind is not attractive because he is too pedantic; nevertheless, one gains sympathy with him on closer acquaintance and especially if one seeks to learn from him. I was so happy to gain his favour. We often had dialogues that went on for four or five hours. I was never bored; he introduced me to many things I knew nothing about. It was fair to say that he had a universal mind. There was nothing we didn't talk about together." (Source https://www.projekt-gutenberg.org/wvbayreu/memoiren/chap018.html)
Literature
For an identical goblet with cover see cat. Form- und Scherzgläser, geschliffene und geschnittene Gläser des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts. Aus der Glassammlung des Mainfränkischen Museums Würzburg, Würzburg 1992, cat. no. 143.
View it on
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
A cut glass goblet with the arms of Imperial Count Friedrich Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim
Round base with stylised leaf motifs supporting a polygonal shaft with round node and tapering cup engraved with the count's monogram CFS flanked by palm fronds. H 22 cm.
Thuringia, around 1730 - 40.
Friedrich Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim was born in Mainz in 1674 as the son of a high-ranking civil servant and embarked on a clerical career at an early age. He received his first benefice at Würzburg Cathedral in 1683. After studying at the universities in Würzburg and Mainz, he travelled to Italy. His uncle, Elector Lothar Franz von Schönborn, entrusted him with diplomatic duties. In 1700, he became canon of St Alban's Cathedral in Mainz, followed by posts at Würzburg and Bamberg Cathedrals. One of Emperor Joseph I's first official acts was to appoint him Imperial Vice-Chancellor in 1705. In 1706, Frederick Charles had the Schönborn Palace in Vienna built by Lucas von Hildebrandt, who later also supervised the extension of the Blue Court in Laxenburg.
After the death of his uncle in 1729, he succeeded him as Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and shortly afterwards was given the second office in Würzburg. His reign is characterised by the construction or renovation of almost 100 church buildings and palaces, the most famous of which are the Würzburg Residence and Münsterschwarzach Abbey. He died in Würzburg in 1746.
King Frederick II's sister, Margravine Wilhelmine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, characterised him in her memoirs as follows: "The person we are talking about here was educated in Vienna. His great abilities helped him to the post of Imperial Chancellor, an office he held for a long time. When the bishoprics of Würzburg and Bamberg became vacant due to the death of their bishops, the court in Vienna used this opportunity to reward Schönborn for his services and was able to exert such an influence on the election that he was appointed administrator and bishop of these two bishoprics. He can rightly be considered a great genius and a great politician.
His character also corresponds to this last quality; for he is false, treacherous and cunning; his nature is arrogant, his mind is not attractive because he is too pedantic; nevertheless, one gains sympathy with him on closer acquaintance and especially if one seeks to learn from him. I was so happy to gain his favour. We often had dialogues that went on for four or five hours. I was never bored; he introduced me to many things I knew nothing about. It was fair to say that he had a universal mind. There was nothing we didn't talk about together." (Source https://www.projekt-gutenberg.org/wvbayreu/memoiren/chap018.html)
Literature
For an identical goblet with cover see cat. Form- und Scherzgläser, geschliffene und geschnittene Gläser des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts. Aus der Glassammlung des Mainfränkischen Museums Würzburg, Würzburg 1992, cat. no. 143.
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
