PROBABLY BY HOLTZAPFFEL, 19TH CENTURY

Details

A TURNED LIGNUM VITAE TOBACCO JAR
PROBABLY BY HOLTZAPFFEL, 19TH CENTURY
11 ¼ in. (28 cm.) high; 8 3/4 in. (22 cm.) diameter

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country. The VAT treatment will depend on whether you have registered to bid with an EU or non-EU address: If you register to bid with an address within the EU you will be invoiced under the VAT Margin Scheme. If you register to bid with an address outside of the EU you will be invoiced under standard VAT rules.

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Benedict Winter

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Lot Essay

Jean-Jacques Holtzapffel was the eldest son of a Strasbourg wood turner and came to England from Alsace in 1792 where he joined the workshop of the well known scientific instrument maker, Jesse Ramsden. The company continued through the generations until 1928 producing ever more complicated lathes which with a skilled hand could turn astonishingly intricate and varied designs. Born in the 'Age of Enlightenment' these instruments were used by gentlemen turners to make ornamental work and won medals at fairs and exhibitions throughout the 19th century including the Great Exhibition of 1851. The use of these complex machines required a deep understanding and in 1843 Charles Holtzapffel, the founders son, began a treatise in 3 volumes and 2,750 pages titled 'Turning and Mechanical Manipulation'.

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