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Lot Essay
EDUARD HOLSTWYLER AND THE SILVER COCKEREL
Despite the rarity of Holstwyler’s work his skills as a silversmith are aptly demonstrated by the present cup and another further piece; a dish in the collection of the Huis van Gijn, Dordrecht (inv. no. 11140). With boldly fluted sides and a finely chased portrait medallion of Prince Maurits to the center it is of a similarly high quality. Very few Dutch silver bird form cups survive from the early 17th century, although a number of Southern German and Swiss silver table ornaments and vessels in the form of birds date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Later in the 17th century the Dordrecht silversmith, Huybert van de Berch, created a number of cockerel cups, which differ from the present example in that most stand directly on their feet, unlike the Holstwyler cockerel which stands on a domed base. Examples of van de Berch's cups can be found in the British Museum, London, the Royal Museum, Brussels, the Bayerisches National Museum, Munich and the Huis van Gijn, Dordrecht. A swan by him is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. BK-16381). The large number of similar works by him has drawn comment in the past, however, it is significant that a further example has come to light. Preserved in the royal collection in Gotha, Germany, it is recorded as a gift to Duke August von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg (1772-1822) in an inventory dated 1819.
THE WENSSEN COAT-OF-ARMS
The coat-of-arms on the underside of the base has not been previously identified. In spite of the wear to the shield it is possible to determine that the arms are most probably for the prominent Dordrecht family of Wenssen; being blazoned as ‘party per fess, three pot-hooks ‘schoorsteenhalen’ in chief’ with a chevron in base. The charge of three pots hooks is rare in Dutch heraldry and the Wenssen family bore them with a chevron accompanied by three escallops. The branch of the Wenssen family which bore these specific arms stems from a marriage in the 1480s between Aert Hendricksz (b.c.1460-1534) and Anthonia Wenssen (b.c.1465-1561), the daughter of Jacob Jansz Wenssen (b.c.1435-d.c.1492) raad [councillor] of Dordrecht. Aert was a wealthy Dordrecht timber merchant and served as raad [councillor], schepen [alderman], and burgemeester [mayor] of the city.
Unusually the Wenssen arms were assumed by their two grandsons. The elder was the lawyer Adriaen Wenssen (d.1592), an attorney at the Hof van Holland [Court of Holland]. He also served as a pensionaris [pensionary] of Dordrecht and was a member of the Hoge Raad [Supreme Court] of Holland, Zeeland and West-Friesland. The younger was Jan Wenssen (d.1588), a timber merchant and schout [bailiff] of Dordrecht. Both Adriaen and Jan Wenssens had three sons; Jacob, Jan, Arent and Jacob, Cornelis and Nicolaes, respectively. Adriaen and Jan were both dead by 1601 and the deaths of the others are nor recorded, therefore it is not possible to determine exactly the family member to whom the cup might have originally belonged.
Thank you to Mr. Hans Breet for a fascinating discussion regarding your research on early 17th century Dordrecht silver and for sharing with us your findings surrounding marks from this period.
Despite the rarity of Holstwyler’s work his skills as a silversmith are aptly demonstrated by the present cup and another further piece; a dish in the collection of the Huis van Gijn, Dordrecht (inv. no. 11140). With boldly fluted sides and a finely chased portrait medallion of Prince Maurits to the center it is of a similarly high quality. Very few Dutch silver bird form cups survive from the early 17th century, although a number of Southern German and Swiss silver table ornaments and vessels in the form of birds date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Later in the 17th century the Dordrecht silversmith, Huybert van de Berch, created a number of cockerel cups, which differ from the present example in that most stand directly on their feet, unlike the Holstwyler cockerel which stands on a domed base. Examples of van de Berch's cups can be found in the British Museum, London, the Royal Museum, Brussels, the Bayerisches National Museum, Munich and the Huis van Gijn, Dordrecht. A swan by him is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. BK-16381). The large number of similar works by him has drawn comment in the past, however, it is significant that a further example has come to light. Preserved in the royal collection in Gotha, Germany, it is recorded as a gift to Duke August von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg (1772-1822) in an inventory dated 1819.
THE WENSSEN COAT-OF-ARMS
The coat-of-arms on the underside of the base has not been previously identified. In spite of the wear to the shield it is possible to determine that the arms are most probably for the prominent Dordrecht family of Wenssen; being blazoned as ‘party per fess, three pot-hooks ‘schoorsteenhalen’ in chief’ with a chevron in base. The charge of three pots hooks is rare in Dutch heraldry and the Wenssen family bore them with a chevron accompanied by three escallops. The branch of the Wenssen family which bore these specific arms stems from a marriage in the 1480s between Aert Hendricksz (b.c.1460-1534) and Anthonia Wenssen (b.c.1465-1561), the daughter of Jacob Jansz Wenssen (b.c.1435-d.c.1492) raad [councillor] of Dordrecht. Aert was a wealthy Dordrecht timber merchant and served as raad [councillor], schepen [alderman], and burgemeester [mayor] of the city.
Unusually the Wenssen arms were assumed by their two grandsons. The elder was the lawyer Adriaen Wenssen (d.1592), an attorney at the Hof van Holland [Court of Holland]. He also served as a pensionaris [pensionary] of Dordrecht and was a member of the Hoge Raad [Supreme Court] of Holland, Zeeland and West-Friesland. The younger was Jan Wenssen (d.1588), a timber merchant and schout [bailiff] of Dordrecht. Both Adriaen and Jan Wenssens had three sons; Jacob, Jan, Arent and Jacob, Cornelis and Nicolaes, respectively. Adriaen and Jan were both dead by 1601 and the deaths of the others are nor recorded, therefore it is not possible to determine exactly the family member to whom the cup might have originally belonged.
Thank you to Mr. Hans Breet for a fascinating discussion regarding your research on early 17th century Dordrecht silver and for sharing with us your findings surrounding marks from this period.