European Furniture, Silver, & Ceramics
European Furniture, Silver, & Ceramics
Property of a Private Collector
A German Silver-Gilt Emblem Beaker, Hans Reiff, Nuremburg, Circa 1609-26
Lot Closed
April 19, 04:18 PM GMT
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Property of a Private Collector
A German Silver-Gilt Emblem Beaker, Hans Reiff, Nuremburg, Circa 1609-26
etched with three cartouches containing figures of a sower, farmer with pitchfork, and man at a forge, below inscriptions and divided by floral pendants, the base with an inscription in two lines, in later case with retailer's signature of Thierry & Breul, London & Munich
marked on base
3 oz 10 dwt
108.9 g
height 3 ¼ in.
8.2 cm
The beaker is decorated with Latin mottos, figural etchings, and German epigrams that are all to be read in tandem. The meanings can be understood as follows:
1) Vah, spelactaris inani - Wan(n) alchimisterei gerett wohl/als dan gesehet gelt Frucht bri(n)g sol
Meaning: A useless undertaking (you cannot seed money and expect it will grow).
2) Si tangis Surgit Et urit : Wer im Feur nach zu sture anfe(n)gt/gemeinglich sein lohn davir e(m)pfengt
Meaning: He who fiddles around/disturbs the fire will get ‘rewarded’ for it (rewarded here means punished) Essentially, what goes around comes around.
3) Qui non intelligit, odit: Der Baur die perlein mit Füse(n) tritt/wer kunst nit versteht achts a nit.
Meaning: The peasant who stomps on the pearls does not understand art and therefore can not appreciate it.
A stacked beaker with similar decoration and epigrams can be found at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nurnberg by Michael Müllner, ca. 1621. https://objektkatalog.gnm.de/objekt/HG11980
An emblem beaker by Hans Reiff, 1609-1626, is in the Budapest Museum, I parmiiveszeti 53.718. One was sold Sotheby’s, Paris, June 26, 2013, lot 246, and another Skinner’s, Boston, July 19, 2014, lot 33.