MARK OF JOHANNES ANDREAS GERARDUS L'HERMINOTTE, MAASTRICHT, 1770-72

Johannes Gerardus l'Herminotte was baptised on 25 May 1732. He was the son of Engelbertus and Maria Margareta Keutten. On 20 November 1748 he was registered as an apprentice in his father's workshop. He seems to have had special interest in jewellery, the craft in which he apparently had been trained by his father since his youth. Although l'Herminotte was registered at the Maastricht guild, he went to Liege to finish his training. This step caused him trouble when he returned to Maastricht four years later, for the ordinances of the guild required that everyone who had learned the craft outside Maastricht had to do an apprenticeship for another two years within the city. For unknown reasons L'Herminotte finished his master-piece within the prescribed period of two years.
l'Herminiotte may be reckoned among the most productive Maastricht silversmiths. Very special is a pair of spurs which l'Herminotte made for the Maastricht fair of 1782. l'Herminotte is known to have manufactured jewellery too, as is illustrated by the large number of finger rings, brooches, loose diamonds and pearls, mentioned in an inventory that was made up after l'Herminotte's death in 1802.

For comparative literature:
M.C.M Wishaupt, "Een paar zilveren ruitersporen uit 1782 van de Maastrichtse zilversmid Gerardus l'Herminotte (1732-1802)", in: Antiek, 1978, pp. 265-268.
Catalogue of the exhibition: Maastrichts Zilver, Maastricht, Bonnefantenmuseum, 1978.