CIRCA 1760

Details

A Dutch Delft polychrome figural gin bottle or "bobbejak"
Circa 1760
Painted in blue, green and dark manganese-red, naturalistically modelled as a gentleman seated astride a large barrel pierced with an aperture to the front, holding a bottle with his right hand, a bunch of grapes in his left, the top of his head forming the cover, minor small restorations
37.5 cm. (14¾ in.) high

Provenance

Anonymous sale, Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 7 October 1997, lot 451.
With Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam, 1998, acquired by
Dr Anton C.R. Dreesmann (inventory no. I-21).

Exhibited

Maastricht, The European Fine Art Fair, 1998

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

Naturalistically modelled gin- or wine bottles were produced in Delft in the second half of the 18th century. The top of the head could be lifted off to fill the bottle and usually there was a little spigot to the front of the barrel. It is not certain if the current "bobbejak" offered here used to have one; these vessels often only had a decorative purpose.

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