A parcel-gilt silver tankard, unmarked, probably German, circa 1650

the barrel, cover and foot engraved with scenes in architectural settings represting the Christian Corporal Acts of Mercy (Matthew 25, vv. 34-35) ...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me, inscribed in Latin and signed In Memoriam Domus Suae, Jacobus Hogreff, unmarked

Some overall wear commensurate with age, especally to hande, but original gilding colour is very nice, dent where thumbpiece hits handle and very small hole in the handle, two small dents to foot rim, finial may be a replacement, otherwise very nice, well engraved and larger than normal
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The barrel of the tankard is engraved with a continuous scene which skillfully combines at least two different images which are after lost works by Titian. The Titian-derived images: The clothing of the poor and part of the feeding scene, which straddle the tankard's handle are found with the same Latin inscription, in a 1647 Paduan publication by Mathias Bolzetta de Cadorinis, vii opera misericordiae piis animis dicat. A contemporary Swiss artist Hans Heinrich Schweitzer may have been the engraver of the images in the 1647 publication. See: Patricia Fortini Brown, Private lives in Renaissance Venice, Princeton, 2004, p.211