GERMAN, CIRCA 1720-30

This flamboyant carved wood urn bears an inventory label from the hunting lodge of the Grand Dukes of Baden at Waldrast, Germany. Although little is known about the lodge today, one can easily imagine an urn of this type adorning the newel post of a grand staircase, or perched at the top of a large rococo altarpiece (see Lankheit, op. cit, II, fig. 151 for a design of such an altar). It is also possible that the present lot was originally conceived of as a model to be executed in stone or marble, which could then have adorned the facade of a building. Such urns were common decorative motifs in German 18th century architecture, perhaps the most famous example being the Zwinger Pavilion at Dresden, executed by Balthasar Permoser and Matthaus Daniel Pöppelmann (for an illustration see Asche, op. cit., fig. 229). If this lot did originally function as a model, it was obviously appreciated as an independent work of art to the extent that it was saved, painted and gilded, and entered into the art collection of one of the grandest princely families in Germany.