Lot Essay
THE PRESENT IVORY MIRROR-CASE IS A CHARACTERISTIC PARISIAN PRODUCTION OF THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY. IT IS PARTICULARLY CLOSE IN STYLE AND DECORATIVE VOCABULARY TO A MIRROR-CASE IN THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM (NO. 210-1865, ILLUSTRATED IN NATANSON, LOC. CIT.). INDEED, IT SEEMS REASONABLE TO SUPPOSE THEY WERE PRODUCED IN THE SAME WORKSHOP. THE FANTASTICAL BEASTS AT THE CORNERS ARE IDENTICAL, BUT THAT OF ITSELF WOULD NOT BE DECISIVE, SINCE THEY ARE FOUND ELSEWHERE (RANDALL, OP. CIT., PP. 224-225, NO. 327, ILLUSTRATED). BY CONTRAST, THE ROSETTE PATTERN ROUND THE RIM, WHICH IS COMMON TO BOTH MIRROR-CASES IS EXTREMELY DISTINCTIVE, AND SUPPORTS THE NOTION OF A SHARED ORIGIN.
AS A RULE GOTHIC MIRROR-CASES, WHICH REPRESENT A RARE INSTANCE OF WORKS OF ART WHOSE RECIPIENTS MAY HAVE BEEN PREDOMINANTLY FEMALE, WERE DECORATED WITH THE SAME KIND OF SECULAR AND AMOROUS SUBJECT-MATTER AS IS FOUND IN THE VERNACULAR LYRIC POETRY AND ROMANCES OF CONTEMPORARY TROUBADOURS AND TROUVèRES. IN THIS INSTANCE, THE UPPER REGISTER IS GIVEN OVER TO SCENES OF LOVE-MAKING, THE LOWER TO A DEPICTION OF A HAWKING-PARTY.
NUMEROUS PARALLELS CAN BE ADDUCED FOR THE CROWNING OF THE LOVER (KOECHLIN, OP. CIT. NO. 999, PL. CLXXXVI, GABORIT-CHOPIN, OP. CIT., P. 147 AND P. 207, PL. 219, RANDALL, OP. CIT., PP. 224-225, NO. 328 AND PP. 222-223, NO. 320), AND FOR THE CHIN CHUCKING (KOECHLIN, OP. CIT., NO, 988, PL. CLXXV). INDEED, IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR BOTH MOTIFS TO BE COMBINED ON THE SAME MIRROR-CASE (KOECHLIN, OP. CIT., NO. 1077, PL. CLXXXIV). SIMILARLY, THE CHASE WAS A FAVOURITE THEME (KOEHLIN, OP. CIT., NOS. 1020, 1026, PL. CLXXVIII), AND COULD HAVE EXPLICIT AMOROUS CONNOTATIONS (KOECHLIN, OP. CIT., NO. 1034, PL. CLXXVIII). OTHER ELEMENTS, SUCH AS THE FIGURE PLAYING A PORTATIVE ORGAN AND THE HAWK DEVOURING ITS PREY, ARE LESS COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED.
AS WITH ALL SUCH PIECES, NOTHING IS KNOWN OF ITS EARLY HISTORY, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUSLY VALUED IN THE LATE SIXTEENTH OR EARLY SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, WHEN A CARTOUCHE SURROUNDED BY STRAPWORK, PRESUMABLY ORIGINALLY CONTAINING A COAT-OF-ARMS, WAS PAINTED ON THE INTERIOR. THE NINETEENTH CENTURY INSCRIPTION REFERRING TO A MEMBER OF THE ACTON FAMILY CONFIRMS THE WORK'S TRADITIONALLY REPORTED PROVENANCE: IT WAS BOUGHT AT THE ACTON SALE AT ALDENHAM PARK IN 1945 AND ACQUIRED NOT LONG AFTER FROM A STALLHOLDER AT A LOCAL MARKET BY THE FATHER OF THE PRESENT OWNER FOR NINE SHILLINGS.
AS A RULE GOTHIC MIRROR-CASES, WHICH REPRESENT A RARE INSTANCE OF WORKS OF ART WHOSE RECIPIENTS MAY HAVE BEEN PREDOMINANTLY FEMALE, WERE DECORATED WITH THE SAME KIND OF SECULAR AND AMOROUS SUBJECT-MATTER AS IS FOUND IN THE VERNACULAR LYRIC POETRY AND ROMANCES OF CONTEMPORARY TROUBADOURS AND TROUVèRES. IN THIS INSTANCE, THE UPPER REGISTER IS GIVEN OVER TO SCENES OF LOVE-MAKING, THE LOWER TO A DEPICTION OF A HAWKING-PARTY.
NUMEROUS PARALLELS CAN BE ADDUCED FOR THE CROWNING OF THE LOVER (KOECHLIN, OP. CIT. NO. 999, PL. CLXXXVI, GABORIT-CHOPIN, OP. CIT., P. 147 AND P. 207, PL. 219, RANDALL, OP. CIT., PP. 224-225, NO. 328 AND PP. 222-223, NO. 320), AND FOR THE CHIN CHUCKING (KOECHLIN, OP. CIT., NO, 988, PL. CLXXV). INDEED, IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR BOTH MOTIFS TO BE COMBINED ON THE SAME MIRROR-CASE (KOECHLIN, OP. CIT., NO. 1077, PL. CLXXXIV). SIMILARLY, THE CHASE WAS A FAVOURITE THEME (KOEHLIN, OP. CIT., NOS. 1020, 1026, PL. CLXXVIII), AND COULD HAVE EXPLICIT AMOROUS CONNOTATIONS (KOECHLIN, OP. CIT., NO. 1034, PL. CLXXVIII). OTHER ELEMENTS, SUCH AS THE FIGURE PLAYING A PORTATIVE ORGAN AND THE HAWK DEVOURING ITS PREY, ARE LESS COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED.
AS WITH ALL SUCH PIECES, NOTHING IS KNOWN OF ITS EARLY HISTORY, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUSLY VALUED IN THE LATE SIXTEENTH OR EARLY SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, WHEN A CARTOUCHE SURROUNDED BY STRAPWORK, PRESUMABLY ORIGINALLY CONTAINING A COAT-OF-ARMS, WAS PAINTED ON THE INTERIOR. THE NINETEENTH CENTURY INSCRIPTION REFERRING TO A MEMBER OF THE ACTON FAMILY CONFIRMS THE WORK'S TRADITIONALLY REPORTED PROVENANCE: IT WAS BOUGHT AT THE ACTON SALE AT ALDENHAM PARK IN 1945 AND ACQUIRED NOT LONG AFTER FROM A STALLHOLDER AT A LOCAL MARKET BY THE FATHER OF THE PRESENT OWNER FOR NINE SHILLINGS.