Beschreibung:

AN IMPRESSIVE RENAISSANCE-STYLE VICTORIAN SILVER EWER by Frederick Elkington, Birmingham 1871, designed by Benjamin Schlick and adapted from designs by Francois Briot and Caspar Enderlein, the tapered ovoid body with a central band depicting three continents, Europe, Africa & America, the above band decorated with the seasons Autumn, Winter and Spring, further decorated with masks, the handled formed as a caryatid terminating in a grotesque mask, with a knopped stem supported on a stepped circular base, stamped 978, 30cm high 1,080gms / 34.72oz This ewer's extravagant design belongs to one of Elkington's most interesting periods of production which saw the company employ foreign designers to create decorative silver in various styles. This early period also heralded Elkington’s foray into the Electroplating process. Benajmin Schlick was a Danish-born designer and architect who, in the early years of his life, had spent time in Italy and France and was directly exposed to Classical visual and material culture. In 1839 he become one of the leading figures in the restoration and preservation of the ancient remains at Pompeii, making observations and sketches which would influence his designs made for Elkington. Shlick’s ewer makes direct reference to two makers, Francois Briot (1550-1616), the Huguenot die-cutter and medallist, as well as Casper Enderlein (1560-1633), a Master pewterer who was active in Nuremberg. Francois Briot’s most famous design is undoubtedly the ‘Temperantia’ basin, his only known signed work and a prime example of ‘Edelzinn’ (precious pewter) that was produced in France and Germany during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The basin featured a figure of Temperance in the centre, surrounded by four plaques depicting the four elements. The patron was most likely Friedrich I, Duke of Württemberg and Count of Montbéliard. Briot moved to Montbeliard in 1579 and a few years later he was appointed seal-engraver to the count and is known to have made medals for Friedrich. The ’Mars’ basin is another masterwork of Briot’s that follows a similar allegorical composition to the ‘Temperantia’ basin. The God Mars replaces the figure of Temperance, while the elements are now depictions of Pax, Invidia, Abundantia and Bellum. The outer border features depictions of famous commanders (Caeser, Cyrus, Julius, Alexander) and the four continents, of which the latter group draws on a series of prints by Jan Sadeler the Elder (1550-1600) after Dirk Barendsz (1534-1592). Basins such as the Temperantia and Mars basin nearly always accompanied ewers with complimentary decoration. Briot seems to have designed ewers at around the same time as the basins, circa 1585. See Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke 'Zinn' 1973. Abb. 129-130 & 134 in the Germanischs Nationalmuseum Nurnberg. Briot’s moulds were made to be copied. His basins and ewers were disseminated widely and in different materials such as Palissyware. Caspar Enderlein’s reproduction of Briot’s Temperance basin brought him great fame. Like many artists who take inspiration from others, Enderlein embellished Briot’s moulds and forms. An ewer made by Enderlein was sold at Sotheby’s (L12230, lot 47) which lifts from an example by Briot in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession number :1975.1.1473, Robert Lehman collection). The three continents (minus Asia) represented in Shlick’s design feature an inscribed cartouche below, an addition Enderlein made to Briot’s work. Shlick’s design further incorporates designs from another dish made by Enderlein from a later date. The dish, made around 1628 (an example is found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number 1203-1903) depicts the creation of Eve in the centre surrounded by four allegorical figures of the four seasons. Shlick’s ewer design takes three seasons (excluding Summer) to be used as the top band of decoration. The form also differs – Shlick’s handle is longer and straighter, while the foot differs in decoration and is sl