AN IMPORTANT SET OF FOUR ITALIAN SILVER WINE COOLERS

MAKER'S MARK OF VINCENZO COACI, ROME, 1789

Details

AN IMPORTANT SET OF FOUR ITALIAN SILVER WINE COOLERS
Maker's mark of Vincenzo Coaci, Rome, 1789
Each vase-form, on a circular base with band of pearling, with four dolphin-form supports, the lower body chased with acanthus and water leaves against a matted ground under a frieze of paired griffins centering a cartouche of scrolling foliage, the shoulder with bands of stiff leaves, stylized palmettes and pearling, the two upswept intertwined serpent handles with classical mask joins, the plain removable liner with Vitruvian scroll band, each side engraved with a coat-of-arms and a princely crown within ermine mantling, the underside of each base engraved VIN. COACI ROMA MDCCLXXXIX, marked under bases of coolers and of stands, on handles, and on liners
12¼in. (31cm.) high; 458oz. (14246gr.) (4)

Provenance

The arms are those of Massimo, an ancient Roman family with traditional ties to the nobility of Turin. These coolers descended in the Massimo family to Don Camillo Francesco Massimo (1865-1943), who presented them as a gift to:
Eugenio Asinari Rossillon di Bernezzo of Turin (1874-1938), General and First Aide-de-Camp to King Vittorio Emmanuele III of Italy, then by descent to:
Marchese Demetrio Asinari Rossillon di Bernezzo, Duke of Rossillon (1916-1991), son
Count Carlo Corsi di Bosnasco, stepson and present owner

Lot Essay

continued [to next page, AFTER the estimate!]

Vincenzo Coaci was born in Montalboddo in Le Marche in 1756. When he first moved to Rome, he registered a maker's mark which included his initials VC above an M, to denote his origin. C.G. Bulgari, in the 1958 edition of Argentieri Gemmari e Orafi d'Italia, recorded this mark without attribution (no. 1180), but it has since been firmly ascribed to Coaci. Coaci registered two further marks in Rome which are well known.

The present wine coolers show Coaci's very literal use of ancient Roman ornament, made fashionable by the archaeological excavations of the 18th century. Coaci may have drawn on original ancient friezes in the collections of Rome, or on one of the numerous publications based on the new discoveries by engravers such as Piranesi or Giuseppe Carletti, whose work was extremely influential to designers throughout Europe.

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