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Lot Essay
Königsberg, now Kaliningrad, was the capital of East Prussia and, until 1945, the most northern and eastern major city in Germany. This distance from the centre of Germany makes it unsurprising that the city developed a style, inspired by or inspiring its trading partners in the Hanseatic League, which Königsberg had joined in 1340.
The form of this bowl and cover, with its ball finials to allow the cover to act as a stand, can be compared to other Northern German examples, such as those being made in Hamburg, as well as to Danish and Baltic examples. The use of coins is also typical of the work of Königsberg generally and Otto Schwerdfeger specifically, with the silversmith being recorded as producing at least two coin tankards, each dated 1704.
The thirty-eight coins that were used for the present bowl and cover come not only from across Germany but also other countries such as Austria, Poland and Switzerland and date from as early as 1544, reinforcing perhaps that importance of the city of Königsberg as a centre for trade.
The form of this bowl and cover, with its ball finials to allow the cover to act as a stand, can be compared to other Northern German examples, such as those being made in Hamburg, as well as to Danish and Baltic examples. The use of coins is also typical of the work of Königsberg generally and Otto Schwerdfeger specifically, with the silversmith being recorded as producing at least two coin tankards, each dated 1704.
The thirty-eight coins that were used for the present bowl and cover come not only from across Germany but also other countries such as Austria, Poland and Switzerland and date from as early as 1544, reinforcing perhaps that importance of the city of Königsberg as a centre for trade.