Circle of Georg Pfründt (circa 1603-1663) South German, 17th century and later

Dr. M. Laserson;
by whom sold 7 August 1958;
private collection, Australia

Overall the condition of the cup is good. However, the mounts appear to be later, the finial is associated and the stem with the dolphins may be slightly later. The vessel and foot are beautifully carved and probably originally formed a nef. There is wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age and handling. The ivory has stable hairline splitting and darker veining consistent with material with one restored split along the side of the vessel. The figure of Andromeda was glued to the lid as was the stem to the base. The foot is slightly loose. The vessel has a circular ivory plug on either end where the root canal would have been. The figure of Andromeda is extensively rubbed and has losses to the tail of the fish and around the underside. There are restorations to the tails of the fish and the snake on the stem and the lower jaw of one of the fish was reattached. There is a dry spot and a painted white rectangle on the underside of the foot. The silver mounts are slightly warped and rubbed and there are some minor losses to the teeth. There is tarnishing in the crevices.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The frieze of dolphins and sea monsters adorning the present cup follows the same composition as that found on an ivory cup in the Grünes Gewölbe in Dresden, dating to circa 1670-80 (inv. no. II 16). Siebenmorgen speculates that cups of this type may have had a strong influence on the work of Johann Georg Kern (1622-1698). Whilst this cannot be proven, it is certainly the case that Kern, who was the nephew of the celebrated sculptor Leonhard Kern (1588-1662), carved similar scenes with sea monsters and mermen on an elaborate Oliphant in the form of a giant fish in the Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart, dating to the mid 17th-century (inv. no. 1979-197). A comparison can therefore be drawn between the present cup and Kern's oeuvre. Moreover, the rounded, monumental forms of the woman standing on the lid of the present cup, resemble those of figures attributed to Kern.

An interesting comparison for the present cup can be found in a narwhal and ivory cup attributed to another of Leonhard Kern's pupils, Georg Pfründt (1603-1663), which was recently exhibited with Julius Böhler and Blumka Gallery, New York (Collecting Treasures ... op. cit. no. 48). The overall conception of the battle frieze in the present cup, with its interlocking serpentine forms and swirling wave pattern underneath, is similar to that seen in this cup. Reeds like those in the present cup are found on a cup attributed to Pfründt, which was formerly owned by the British Rail Pension Fund, sold in these rooms on 4^th July 1996, lot 80. The interlocking sea creatures, the inclusion of reeds and the manner in which the seahorses are conceived, all find parallels in an ivory cup attributed to Pfründ and sold in these rooms on 10^th December 2002, lot 72. Note also the dolphin, similarly modelled to those in the present frieze, with their fins and rounded scales, found on the stem of a 17th century ivory and rhinosceros horn cup in the style of Pründt, which was formerly in the Baden-Baden collection, sold Sotheby's, Baden-Baden on 5th October 1995, lot 469.

The present cup would have been intended for a princely or noble kunstkammer. The use of rare narwhal ivory would have made it wholly appropriate for such a context. Narwhal tusks were historically traded as the horns of unicorns and were consequently believed to possess magical properties, including the power to purify poisoned water. Moreover, this dense material was more difficult to carve than elephant ivory; consequently the present cup, with its virtuoso rendering of a battle of sea monsters, would have been perceived as both a natural wonder and a triumph of human industry.

The 17th-century kunstkammer (or art chamber) developed out of the medieval treasury and, in turn, the Renaissance studiolo. The term is first recorded in 1550 in relation to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-1564) and his collection of precious objects and curiosities. In 1565, the Flemish writer Samuel von Quiccheberg differentiated between the kunstkammer, an art chamber, and the wunderkammer, a place of natural wonders (mirabilia). Over the course of the ensuing decades the two were conflated and the kunstkammer became a cabinet of natural and artificial wonders, from fine bronzes and paintings to uncarved gems and animal specimens. Kunstkammern were a source of social and intellectual prestige, with two of the finest belonging to the Emperor Ferdinand II (1578-1637) at Schloss Ambras and the Emperor Rudolf II (1552-1612) at Prague Castle. In the seventeenth century there came about a particular vogue for superbly worked objet d'arts in amber, rhinoscerous horn, and, particularly, elephant and marine ivory; the present cup would have been conceived to appeal to this taste.

The present cup exhibits some superb passages of carving, particularly in the representation of the battle of seamonsters. The high relief areas of the frieze are superbly modelled and, given the hardness of the material, are testament to the sculptor's virtuoso ability.

RELATED LITERATURE
C. Theuerkauff (ed.), Elfenbein. Sammlung Reiner Winkler, Munich 1984, pp. 112-4, no. 60; Collecting Treasures of the Past VII, exhib. cat. Julius Böhler and Blumka Gallery, New York, 26^th January - 10^th February 2012, no. 48; R. Berliner, Die Bildwerke des Bayerisches Nationalmuseums, Munich, 1926, p. 61, no. 220, pls. 129-130; J. Thinesse, Appendix zum Elfenbein, Katalogue Rudolf Berliner, Munich, 1977; C. Theuerkauff, 'Pfründt', Anzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums, Nuremberg, 1974; H. Siebenmorgen, Leonhard Kern (1588-1662). Meisterwerke der Bildhauerei für Kunstkammern Europas, Sigmaringen, 1988, pp. 80-1,  252-3, figs. 10, 131