A FINE ITALIAN BAROQUE SILVER PLAQUE, CAREL BOLCOOL, GENOA OR ROME, CIRCA 1677

The collection of Prof. Jhr. Dr. Jan Six van Hillegom en Wimmenum (1857 - 1926); sold in his sale at Frederik Muller & Cie, Amsterdam, 17 October 1928, Lot 172, where acquired by his son;

Jhr. ir. G.C. (Gijs) Six van Wimmenum (1892 – 1975);

Thence by descent

Associated Literature

Carl Hernmarck, The Art of the European Silversmith, 1430-1830, London, 1977

Important Gold and Silver, Christies, London, 2004, lot 163

The Flemish silversmith and chaser Carel Bolcool is recorded from a dish embossed and chased with Europa and Bull in the Nationalmuseum Stockholm. This is signed and dated Genova 1674, Carol Bolcool Flammingo Fecit, 1674 (see; Hernmarck, op. cit., vol.I, p.244 and vol.II, fig. 660). The centre of one of largest Italian baroque dishes known, made for the Marquesses of Tavora around 1670 by the Rome goldsmith Francesco Travani, is embossed with the same Europa scene leading to speculation that Bolcool worked for Travani as a specialist chaser. This idea is given support by a plaquette formerly in the J.M Morpurgo collection, Amsterdam, also signed and dated Carlos Bolcool, 1677, where two of the female figures who accompany Venus in her triumph depicted there, are repeated in the Europa scenes of the Stockholm and Travani dishes.