- 95
Austrian or South German, circa 1700
Description
- Cutlery with handles in the style of Turks
- the knives with unidentified cutlers marks
- ivory and steel, within a contemporary 17th/ 18th-century wood case bound in red leather, lined with suede and gold brocade and with metal mounts
- Austrian or South German, circa 1700
Provenance
Condition
"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."
Catalogue Note
Given its exotic connotations, ivory would have been a natural choice of material for a set of cutlery featuring stylised busts of Turks. Ivory had been used for expensive cutlery sets throughout the 17th century, with examples being found in kunstkammern (cabinets of curiosity) across Europe. Note, for example, the two German 17th-century ivory knife handles with brawling putti from the kunstkammer of the Margraves of Baden-Baden published by Marquardt (op. cit., pp. 124-125, no. 395). Knife and fork handles with Turks appear to be rare. However, there are some comparable examples (with similar cutlers marks) in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, which were catalogued by Berliner as South Indian or Ceylonese, 17th/ 18th century (op. cit., nos. 333-334, p. 82). Their present location and their European metalwork might indicate that these are, in fact, German or Austrian. The handles exhibit similarly stylised figures sporting large turbans and moustaches as those seen in the present set. There is also a South German, early 18th-century, ivory walking stick handle in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum carved with the head of a Turk (op. cit., no. 495, p. 105).
RELATED LITERATURE
R. Berliner, Die bildwerke des Bayerischen Nationalmuseums. Die bildwerke in elfenbein, knochen, hirsch- und steinbockhorn mit einem angange: elfenbeinarbeiten der Staatlichen Schlossmuseen in Bayern, Munich, 1926, pp. 82, 105, nos. 333-334, 495; K. Marquardt, Eight Centuries of European Knives, Forks and Spoons. An Art Collection, Stuttgart, 1997, pp. 124-125, no. 395