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Lot Essay
While not struck with a maker's mark this monumental centrepiece is typical of the high quality silver being produced in Hanau in the second half of the 19th century. Along with it's thriving community of silversmiths Hanau was also home to the Künigliche Preussische Zeichenakademie, where designers such as August Offterdinger and Max Weise were producing designs for silver which could then put into production by the local factories.
Bruno-Wilhelm Thiele illustrates a number of drawing by Offterdinger which can be associated with the present centrepiece (B.-W. Thiele, Tafel-und Schausilber des Historismus aus Hanau, 1992). While none of the drawing Thiele publishes are exact, they do show elements such as the swan handles, which appear in the drawing for a prunkwagen (B.-W. Thiele, op. cit., no. 140) as well as similar lion's masks, fruit swags and scrolls on a drawing for a tazza (B.-W. Thiele, op. cit., no. 114). Thiele also publishes a photograph (B.-W. Thiele, op. cit., no. 117) which shows a similar surface matting and modelling of the figures on a prunkvase.
Bruno-Wilhelm Thiele illustrates a number of drawing by Offterdinger which can be associated with the present centrepiece (B.-W. Thiele, Tafel-und Schausilber des Historismus aus Hanau, 1992). While none of the drawing Thiele publishes are exact, they do show elements such as the swan handles, which appear in the drawing for a prunkwagen (B.-W. Thiele, op. cit., no. 140) as well as similar lion's masks, fruit swags and scrolls on a drawing for a tazza (B.-W. Thiele, op. cit., no. 114). Thiele also publishes a photograph (B.-W. Thiele, op. cit., no. 117) which shows a similar surface matting and modelling of the figures on a prunkvase.