MARK OF DANIEL LA FEBER, AMSTERDAM, 1786

Details

A Dutch silver-mounted wooden broker's baton ('makelaarsstokje')
Mark of Daniel la Feber, Amsterdam, 1786
The baluster wooden stem with silver terminals, one with the coat-of- arms of Amsterdam, the side engraved Jacob Hubert, the other with monogram MKRVS, the side engraved Ao. 1787, marked on one mount
12.5 cm. (4 7/8 in.) long
Jacob Hubert, born at Hoorn in 1757, married Jacoba Menardi in Amsterdam in 1789. He was a non-specialised broker established at the Looiersgracht.

Provenance

Anonymous sale; Christie's, Amsterdam, 26 March 1987, lot 340 (to Dreesmann).
Dr Anton C.R. Dreesmann (inventory no. G-87).

Special notice

Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 20.825% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €90,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €90,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 20.825% of the first €90,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €90,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually.

Lot Essay

The Amsterdam Broker's Guild is recorded in 1612, but the guild possibly existed as early as 1578. The makelaarsstokje (broker's baton) was introduced by the guild in 1636. The baton assured a third person that he was dealing with a sworn broker. It was fitted with the city arms of Amsterdam on one side and on the opposite side the letters MKLRSG, consonants from the words: Makelaars Gilde (Broker's Guild). Usually the baton also bears the name of the owner and the year in which he was sworn in. Although the baton was introduced in 1636, the earliest extant example dates back to 1707. This is probably largely due to the fact that initially after the death of a broker the baton was returned to the guild. The account books of the guild show that batons were handed out until 1854 (see B.W.G. Wttewaal, Nederlands Klein Zilver 1650-1880, Amsterdam 1987; J.M. Middag, Makelaarsstokjes en -penningen, Zeist, 1999).

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