Lot Essay
THESE PIER GLASSES OR DAMSPIEGELS WERE PROBABLY ORIGINALLY EN SUITE WITH A PAIR OF CONSOLE TABLES AND PLACED BETWEEN A PAIR OF WINDOWS. THESE ITEMS OF SCULPTED FURNITURE WERE MADE BY SCULPTORS OR BEELDSNIJDERS, UNITED IN THE ST. LUKE'S GUILD, WHO SPCIALISED IN THIS KIND OF DECORATIVE WORK. ONE OF THESE CRAFTSMEN WAS ASSUERIS VAN WEEGHEL (MASTER IN 1775), WHO ADVERTISED IN THE AMSTERDAMSCHE COURANT OF 3 OCTOBER 1765 THAT HE SOLD MIRRORS, SCONCES, TABLE-FRAMES, CHINA-STANDS, BUT ALSO CHIMNEY-PIECES AND CHANDELIERS. THESE CRAFTMEN MAY HAVE HAD A PIONEERING ROLE IN THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LOUIS XV STYLE TO HOLLAND AS THEIR PRODUCTS WERE LESS FUNCTIONAL AND PRACTICAL AND THEREFORE MORE EASILY ABSORBED THE NEW FRIVOLOUS STYLE. (R.J. BAARSEN, NEDERLANDSE MEUBELEN 1600-1800, RIJKSMUSEUM AMSTERDAM, 1993, PP. 92-93.)