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Post Lot Text
AN IMPORTANT PAIR OF GERMAN GOLD AND ENAMEL TAZZE
PROBABLY AUGSBURG, CIRCA 1730, UNMARKED
Each shaped oblong on detachable pedestal foot, with moulded outer border, finely engraved on foot, inner border and central cartouche with Bérain style strapwork scrolls on matted ground, the centres applied with differing enamelled coats-of-arms
The arms on one of the tazze are those of Friedrich Anton of Schwarzburg-Rodolstadt (1692-1744). The arms on the second tazza are those of Friedrich Anton, German Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and of his second wife Christina-Sophie, Princess of Ost-Friesland (1688-1750), daughter of Christian, Prince of Ost-Friesland and Eberhardine.
These tazze were almost certainly commissioned by Christina-Sophie's father, Christian, Prince of Ost-Friedland to mark her marriage in 1729 at Stadtilm. Originally, they may well have been part a of a large dressing table-service for a lady similar to that made in gold in Augsburg between 1736 and 1740 for the Empress Anna of Russia (see L. Seelig, Silber und Gold, Augsburger Goldschmiedekunst für die Höfe Europas, Munich, 1994, pp. 446-449, no. 121). Indeed it may well be that Johann Ludwig II Biller, who supplied much of the Empress Anna's service, made these tazze which are of similar exceptional quality.