A PEWTER MOUNTED BOTTGER POLISHED RED STONEWARE ARMORIAL TANKARD

CIRCA 1710-1720, THE PEWTER MOUNT INSET WITH A COIN DATED 1717.31.OCT, SHIELD MARK WITH EAGLE AND AS TO THE UNDERSIDE, THE ENGRAVING PROBABLY 19TH CENTURY

Details

A PEWTER MOUNTED BOTTGER POLISHED RED STONEWARE ARMORIAL TANKARD
Circa 1710-1720, the pewter mount inset with a coin dated 1717.31.Oct, shield mark with eagle and AS to the underside, the engraving probably 19th century
Cylindrical with strap handle, engraved with the crowned arms of Augustus the Strong as King of Poland, a banner inscribed 'FA' (Friedrich August) at the top and 'RP' (Rex Poland) below unfurled diagonally behind the inverted pear-shape shield set within Baroque scrolls, a winged angel peaking out above the upper right corner, the coat-of-arms between bands of scrolls and flowers on a striated ground, the upper band suspending two lappets of flowers and scrolls issuing from a gadrooned urn, a monkey dancing and playing a pipe and another playing a drum standing on the lower band at either side of the shield, the hinged pewter cover with spiral-gadrooned 'hat' form thumb rest, the top inset with a coin commemorating the 200th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenburg, inscribed around the circumference 'ZWEYHUNDERT IAHR STEHT LUTHERS LEHR, DURCH GOTTES HULF VERGEHTS NICHT MEHR', Luther seated writing at a table in the center above the date '1717.31.OCT', with conforming pewter rim and footrim
9 3/8 in. (23.7 cm.) high overall

Sale room notice

FURTHER PROVENANCE
The Estate of Dr. Joseph Kler; Christie's, New York, 27 April 1984, lot 1 (as circa 1710-1715).
Acquired by the consignor from the purchaser at this auction.

Lot Essay

Although the bold simple form of the present tankard is typical of early Vöttger stoneware design, the overly fussy engraving found on it is most often associated with a Victorian or Edwardian aesthetic, particularly with glass engraving of the period. .

See The Collection of the Margraves and Grand Dukes of Baden, vol. III, Ceramics and Glass; Sotheby's on the Premises, 6-7 Ocrober 1995, lots 1264 and 1265 for unmounted polished Böttger red stoneware tankards boldly engraved with elaborate coats-of-arms, no further decoration embelishing the highly polished surface.

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