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An unusual pair of dutch silver 'umbilical cord' tongs and a dutch silver needle-case

THE FIRST WITH MAKER'S MARK ONLY, UNIDENTIFIED, THE NETHERLANDS, CIRCA 1760, THE NEEDLE-CASE MARK OF JACOBUES CLEMENT, MIDDELBURG, 1769

Details

An unusual pair of dutch silver 'umbilical cord' tongs and a dutch silver needle-case
The first with maker's mark only, unidentified, the Netherlands, circa 1760, the needle-case mark of Jacobues Clement, Middelburg, 1769
The pair of tongs shaped as a stork with hinged beak and two oval openwork handles revealing a baby, one handle with tortoise stand, the tapering 'knipkoker' finely decorated with an engraved swirling foliage scroll band, hinged cover with push button, marked on bodies
9.5 cm. long and smaller
58 gr. (2)

Provenance

B.W.G. Wttewaall collection (inventory nos. V236, V259).

Literature

B.W.G. Wttewaall, Nederlands Klein Zilver, Abcoude, 2003, pp. 959-960 and pp. 250, 254, ill. 781.

Special notice

Christie’s charges a premium to the buyer on the Hammer Price of each lot sold at the following rates: 29.75% of the Hammer Price of each lot up to and including €5,000, plus 23.8% of the Hammer Price between €5,001 and €400,000, plus 14.28% of any amount in excess of €400,001. Buyer’s premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

Lot Essay

It is believed that the pair of stork shaped tongs were used for holding the umbilical cord whilst this was cut. Sometimes they are called 'luiertangen' and therefore supossed to have been used for taking the nappies (B.W.G. Wttewaall op cit.).

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