A BRASS-INLAID BROWN TORTOISESHELL, EBONY AND GILT-COPPER ENCRIER, mounted in gilt-bronze, the dished centre inlaid with Bérainesque designs of scrolling foliate arabesques, snails and husk trails and centred by a strapwork cartouche with three drinking vessels, a fleur-de-lys and crossed palm sprays and surmounted by a tasselled band inscribed CONCILIOQVE MANVQVE, flanked by two further dished trays, two inkwells and two glass-lined compartments with pierced foliate lids, the foliate inlaid bombé frieze centred by entwined snakes inscribed ARS LONGA, a hand inscribed OCCASIO PROECEPS, an eye inscribed JVDICIVM DIFFICILE and a snail inscribed VITA BRAEVIS, on pounced panelled block feet, one foot lacking, second quarter 19th Century

Details

A BRASS-INLAID BROWN TORTOISESHELL, EBONY AND GILT-COPPER ENCRIER, mounted in gilt-bronze, the dished centre inlaid with Bérainesque designs of scrolling foliate arabesques, snails and husk trails and centred by a strapwork cartouche with three drinking vessels, a fleur-de-lys and crossed palm sprays and surmounted by a tasselled band inscribed CONCILIOQVE MANVQVE, flanked by two further dished trays, two inkwells and two glass-lined compartments with pierced foliate lids, the foliate inlaid bombé frieze centred by entwined snakes inscribed ARS LONGA, a hand inscribed OCCASIO PROECEPS, an eye inscribed JVDICIVM DIFFICILE and a snail inscribed VITA BRAEVIS, on pounced panelled block feet, one foot lacking, second quarter 19th Century
21¾in. (55cm.) wide; 3¾in. (9.5cm.) high; 15 1/8in. (38.5cm.) deep

Provenance

Sir Lionel Phillips, Bt., Tylney Hall, Hampshire, sold in these Rooms, 23 April 1913, lot 223 (231 gns. to C. Davis)
Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt., 25 Park Lane, W.1., recorded in the Library in the pre-1927 inventory

Lot Essay

A closely related encrier, reputedly made by André-Charles Boulle in 1710 for the College of Surgeons, Paris, and exhibed at the Bethnal Green Exhibition of 1872-5 (Catalogue number 1178), is in the Wallace Collection (see F.J.B. Watson, Wallace Collection Catalogues: Furniture, London, 1956, F. 49, p. 24, [plate 79]). Only three other variants are recorded:- one in the collection of the Marquess of Bath at Longleat House, Wiltshire; one from the collection of Baron Meyer Amschel de Rothschild at Mentmore Towers, Buckinghamshire (sold by the Earl of Rosebery, Mentmore Towers, Buckinghamshire, Sotheby's house sale, 18-20 May 1977, lot 124); and another in the Hillingdon collection, published in the Catalogue of the Furniture, Porcelain, Pictures & Co at Wildernesse Park, Sevenoaks, The Seat of Lord Hillingdon, privately printed, 1891, p.10.

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