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Lot Essay
Renaissance-style works of art and jewels of this type, whether made as deliberate fakes or to satisfy the desire to imitate a princely Schatzkammer, were often created by highly skilled goldsmiths. Their work was widely accepted as genuine throughout much of the 20th Century until research uncovered archival documents, notably the designs of Vasters and André, which then allowed the identification of the works they produced with some degree of certainty.
Reinhold Vasters (1827-1909) was born near Aachen and entered his mark as a goldsmith in that city in 1853, initially working on church silver as restorer at the Aachen Cathedral Treasury. By the late 1860s he turned to working mainly on unmarked secular pieces in the Gothic and Renaissance styles, which he supplied to the art dealer Frédéric Spitzer (1815-90). Vasters's work illustrates his skill in both integrating parts or fragments of authentic 16th and 17th century pieces into his creations but also creating vessels, jewels and precious items derived from Renaissance models but entirely 19th century in execution. Rock crystal was a favourite medium and was admired for its brilliance and purity combined with its relative scarcity as it had been one of the most highly valued minerals throughout history. The 16th century witnessed a high point in its use, when princely courts vied with each other to produce the most sumptuous mounted rock crystal objects to demonstrate their sophistication and wealth. Although the design for this casket has not been traced, the designs of Reinhold Vasters, which are preserved in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and were extensively anlaysed by Dr. M Krautwurst in her dissertation on his work, certain elements are clearly reminiscent of Vasters' style as is the superb quality.
The casket design is centred around the Greek mythology of the sea with such classical subjects as the birth of Venus, Neptune on his chariot and the Battle of the Seas. The model of the latter is based on an engraving by Andrea Mantegna composed of two panels made in the 1470s. The engraving, whose subject is thought to be artistic envy, depicts a violent battle between eleven classical deities of the sea with the most identifiable being Neptune, and behind him, the ominous figure of Invidia. Mantegna was profoundly interested in the world of classical antiquity and took inspiration not only from antique sculpture but also from classical texts to create a powerful allegory.
Reinhold Vasters (1827-1909) was born near Aachen and entered his mark as a goldsmith in that city in 1853, initially working on church silver as restorer at the Aachen Cathedral Treasury. By the late 1860s he turned to working mainly on unmarked secular pieces in the Gothic and Renaissance styles, which he supplied to the art dealer Frédéric Spitzer (1815-90). Vasters's work illustrates his skill in both integrating parts or fragments of authentic 16th and 17th century pieces into his creations but also creating vessels, jewels and precious items derived from Renaissance models but entirely 19th century in execution. Rock crystal was a favourite medium and was admired for its brilliance and purity combined with its relative scarcity as it had been one of the most highly valued minerals throughout history. The 16th century witnessed a high point in its use, when princely courts vied with each other to produce the most sumptuous mounted rock crystal objects to demonstrate their sophistication and wealth. Although the design for this casket has not been traced, the designs of Reinhold Vasters, which are preserved in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and were extensively anlaysed by Dr. M Krautwurst in her dissertation on his work, certain elements are clearly reminiscent of Vasters' style as is the superb quality.
The casket design is centred around the Greek mythology of the sea with such classical subjects as the birth of Venus, Neptune on his chariot and the Battle of the Seas. The model of the latter is based on an engraving by Andrea Mantegna composed of two panels made in the 1470s. The engraving, whose subject is thought to be artistic envy, depicts a violent battle between eleven classical deities of the sea with the most identifiable being Neptune, and behind him, the ominous figure of Invidia. Mantegna was profoundly interested in the world of classical antiquity and took inspiration not only from antique sculpture but also from classical texts to create a powerful allegory.