Estimate

25.000 - 50.000

Session 1

9 December 2014

Hammer Price

Description

Of oval shape, foot with frieze, plain body with relief neoclassic frieze, cast and chiselled handles depicting branches of leaves and fruits, cover with framed tab at two relief rosettes, pine cone and acanthus cover finial on relief calyx with leaves and fruits
Charge and discharge marks of Paris (1783-1789), “Maison Commune” mark of 1784 and Robert-Joseph Auguste maker’s mark (act. 1757-1793)
19th century liner and stand with similar decoration, Tête de Minerve 1 mark and Debain & Flament maker’s mark (1874-1880)
(minor wear signs, small bruise to the stand, stand with faded maker’s mark)

28 x 38,5 x 23,5 cm 29 x 39,2 x 30,2 cm
2880 g (terrina/tureen)
5204 g (total)

Category

Silver

Additional Information

Note: Robert-Joseph Auguste (Mons, 1723-Paris, 1805) needs no introduction. Alongside Thomas Germain (1726-1791) he was one of the most important 18th century silversmiths and after Germain’s bankruptcy in 1765 Auguste become the most important and busy silversmith in France. Adding to the commissions due as “Orfrèvre Ordinaire du Roi” for Louis XVI (since 1778) his workshop produced hundreds of works for European Royal Houses, among others the courts of Stockholm, Saint Petersburg, Copenhagen, London and Lisbon were frequent buyers.
Some outstanding and famous silver table sets were made by Auguste, being the Tsarina Catherine the Great of Russia ensemble or the one commissioned by George III of Great-Britian two of the most famous. A magnificent pair of salt cellars signed by R. J. Auguste and part the Catherine the Great service is now on permanent exhibition at the Gulbenkian museum, Lisbon.
On April 1784 the Queen D.Maria (1777-1816) ordered two silver gilt toilette ensembles to Paris where D. Vicente de Souza Coutinho was the responsible for the royal purchases, he had no doubt choosing the author for the royal demand, in his own words it had to be R. J. Auguste “the best silversmith of the country and probably of all Europe”. Five sets of ewers and basins of this service are still at the Portuguese Royal Collections, on permanent exhibition at Museu de Arte Antiga, Lisbon, alongside three footed salvers from the same service. Several boxes and footed salvers with same provenance ended with Sweden royal family members inherited from the Empress Amalia of Leuchtenberg (1812-1873), second wife of D.Pedro IV of Portugal, first Emperor of Brazil. Some of these pieces appear for auction at times; in May 2011 a pair of salvers was sold at Sotheby’s Paris for more than 192.000 euros.
Adding to the royal family also the most important houses of the country bought from Robert-Joseph Auguste, being the most famous the commissions by the Dukes of Cadaval or the Counts of Povolide; a Cadaval tureen was sold in June for more than 162.000 euros at Bonham’s London and a pair of wine-coolers bearing Povolide arms is at permanent exhibition at Museu de Arte Antiga, Lisbon.
We are proud to offer for sale in Lisbon this magnificent piece that belongs to an important Portuguese collection. Although its provenance is unknown it is not difficult to assume that this might be a commission of an important court member, especially noticing that this tureen dates of the exact same year than the royal toilette service.
João Júlio Teixeira, G.D.

We are thankful to Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and to the Arte Antiga Museum Silver Department, Dr.ª Luísa Penalva, for the collaboration.