Two dutch silver bag-mounts, one with a belt-hook

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Door Jean-Pierre van Rijen Als connaisseur en collectioneur was B.W.G. Wttewaall (1915-2003) een laatbloeier. Zijn interesse voor zilver was in gang gezet door een vroege pensionering na arbeidzame tropenjaren in voormalig Nederlands Nieuw-Guinea. Eenmaal gerepatrieerd deed een tweede carrière bij het Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken hem geregeld in Londen vertoeven, waar Portobello Road zijn aandacht op het kleinzilver richtte. Met smaak wist Wttewaall tot kort voor zijn overlijden te vertellen over de hoge kwaliteit en de onverwachte hoeveelheden Nederlands zilver die hij in de jaren zeventig aantrof in Londense antiekzaakjes. Lodereindoosjes werden er nog bij tientallen aangeboden, zelden voor meer dan 6 à 7 pond; 17de-eeuwse lepels werden er in bundels verkocht, de stelen achteloos bij elkaar gebonden. De immense hoeveelheden kleinzilver die Wttewaall gedurende bijna veertig jaar door zijn handen liet gaan en de uitvoerige studies die hij verrichtte, maakten hem tot een gewaardeerd expert en een onvervangbare vraagbaak voor medeverzamelaars. Zijn handboek werd een begrip; de laatste editie ging enkele dagen na zijn overlijden ter perse. Voor de typologische determinatie van tasbeugel, tabaksdoos of theeschep reikt de zilververzamelaar niet naar Nederlands Klein Zilver en Schepwerk, nee, hij zoekt het op in 'Wttewaall'. Bartholomeus Willem Gerard Wttewaall, 'Eep' voor intimi, slaagde in wat maar weinigen lukt: zijn achternaam verdrong de boektitel. B.W.G. Wttewaall (1915-2003) developed into a significant connoisseur and collector later in life. His passion for fine silver came about following early retirement from his endeavors in the former Dutch colony of New Guinea. On his return to The Netherlands, his ensuing career at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs often led him to London where the dealers on Portobello Road often attracted his attention. Wttewaall would occasionally recount stories of visits there in the 1970s when he would find the stalls of the dealers stocked with Dutch silver of exceptionally high quality. So-called loodereinoosjes were offered in batches of ten or more for only six or seven pounds, whilst 17th Century spoons were sold in bundles which were nonchalantly bound together. The extensive collection of silver small-work that Wttewaall brought together over the years, and the in depth studies he made of this fascinating field, made him a highly respected expert and an irreplaceable source of knowledge for fellow collectors. His erudite handbook has set the standard, the most recent edition going to press a few days after his death. For the typological determination of the tasbeugel, tabaksdoos or theeschep, the avid collector will not reach for Nederlands Klein Zilver en Schepwerk, but simply for Wttewaall. Bartholomeus Willem Gerard Wttewaall,'Eep' to his friends, achieved what only very few can claim with his surname surpassing the title of his book. BAG-MOUNTS In the Netherlands and Northern Germany silver-mounted bags came into fashion in the second half of the 17th Century. The earliest known Dutch example is one marked for Amsterdam 1680 now in a private collection, while examples begin to appear in Friesland in the 1720s and Groningen in the 1730s. These bags were used more or less exclusively by women, as men's clothing of the period already included pockets. The 18th century was the height of the production of these bags which were often finely embroidered in petit-point or petit d'Hongrie. The mounts which were made in Amsterdam are typified by their semi-circular form cast and chased with flowers, tree branches, birds and putti and with plain back and hooks.

Two dutch silver bag-mounts, one with a belt-hook

MAKER'S MARK ONLY OF J. VAN GIFFEN, GRONINGEN, CIRCA 1765, THE BELTHOOK UNIDENTIFIED MAKER'S MARK ONLY (CITROEN 1089) AMSTERDAM, CIRCA 1730, ALSO STRUCK WITH A CROWNED S, THE SECOND BAGMOUNT WITH MAKER'S MARK ONLY OF GERARD VAN VELSEN, BOLSWARD, CIRCA 1741, THE BELTHOOK INDISTINCTLY MARKED, CIRCA 1770

Details

Two dutch silver bag-mounts, one with a belt-hook
Maker's mark only of J. van Giffen, Groningen, circa 1765, the belthook unidentified maker's mark only (Citroen 1089) Amsterdam, circa 1730, also struck with a crowned S, the second bagmount with maker's mark only of Gerard van Velsen, Bolsward, circa 1741, the belthook indistinctly marked, circa 1770
The first bag-mount with parrots and foliage belt-hook, the second with strapwork, shells and foliage, the belt-hook with openwork rocaille, marked on bodies
17.5 cm wide and smaller
347 gr. (3)

Provenance

B.W.G. Wttewaall collection (inventory nos. V487, V590, V620).

Literature

B.W.G. Wttewaall, Nederlands Klein Zilver, Abcoude, 2003, pp. 50-51, ill. 86.

Special notice

Christie’s charges a premium to the buyer on the Hammer Price of each lot sold at the following rates: 29.75% of the Hammer Price of each lot up to and including €5,000, plus 23.8% of the Hammer Price between €5,001 and €400,000, plus 14.28% of any amount in excess of €400,001. Buyer’s premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

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