Lot 68
  • 68

CIRCLE OF COLIN NOUAILHER (ACTIVE 1539 - AFTER 1571)FRENCH, LIMOGES, CIRCA 1540-1570 | Six Plaques with the Labours of the Month and Zodiac Signs

Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Six Plaques with the Labours of the Month and Zodiac Signs
  • partially gilt painted enamel on copper
  • 13 by 13cm., 5 1/8  by 5 1/8 in. each
depticting the zodiac signs Pisces, Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Libra, and inscribed respectively (excluding Pisces): AVRIL; IVNVS; IVLLET; AVST; and SEPTENBRE; three plaques with old inventory numbers 9470 to the reverse.

Condition

Overall the condition of the enamels is good, with wear and some dirt to the surface consistent with age. There are areas of restoration to the enamel on all plaques, notably around the edges, and discolouring can be seen on the white borders. Some of the plaques have restoration also to the metal at the corners. There are some further minor re-touchings to the enamel in some of the plaques, notably to the cloak of the left hand figure in 'April'. There are chips and small losses to the enamelling in the six plaques, notably at several of the corners and some of the edges. There is a notable area of loss and restoration to the left hand corner of the 'March' plaque, and another to the left hand corner of the 'April' plaque. There is minor stable craquelure and warping throughout, consistent with the material. There are a few minor stable fissures to the copper, including one to the right hand side of the 'August' plaque. Much of the gilding has worn, and there is some ghosting to the remnants. There is minor translucent wax residue to some of the plaques.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Labours of the Month cycles - depicting the rural activities that commonly took place in certain months of the year - have a long tradition throughout the Middle Ages and also became a popular theme for Limoges enamellers, particularly in the second half of the sixteenth century. The best known examples of these cycles are by artists such as Pierre Reymond, Pierre Courteys or the Monogrammist I.C.; their iconography mainly derived from two series of copper engravings by the engraver Étienne Delaune, dating from the 1560s. The present plaques – some of the earliest examples of the Labours in Limoges enamel – however are directly based on a calendar with woodcuts which was published in Paris in 1499 under the title ‘Compost et kalendrier des bergères’. An almost similar series of the Labours – although executed as roundels and consisting of 10 plaques – has been in the collection of the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum in Brunswick (Müsch, op. cit., nrs. 28-37, pp. 116-121) since circa 1785. Based on their painting style and specific enamelling technique, the Brunswick plaques, as well as the present plaques, can be clearly associated with the work of Colin Nouailher, perhaps even being by Nouailher’s own hand or workshop. RELATED LITERATURE
I. Müsch, Maleremails des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts aus Limoges, cat. Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig, 2002

Sotheby's would like to thank Mr. Bernard Descheemaeker for his assistance in cataloguing this lot