Design for ornamental motif for chasing, of a cartouche with intertwined strapwork, about 1710. Anonymous, German

Design for ornamental motif for chasing, of a cartouche with intertwined strapwork, acanthus and a straight moulding. Left half of the drawing produced by counterproof. Mounted on laid paper with E.1953-1991, E.1954-1991 and E.1955-1991.

The small scale of this design suggests that the design may have been for a personal object, serving as either a hinge plate or a mount. This is one of a series of metalwork drawings [E.948-1969-1991], all sharing the same provenance and may all come from the same workshop, and seem to date to about 1710. One further drawing from this group of 23 is in a private collection in Paris. The majority of the drawings are rendered in red chalk, with the left half usually obtained by counterproof. Other drawings are in pen and brown ink. The annotations in German indicate the weight of the object after it was made, which betrays a craft knowledge and suggests that the drawings come from the workshop of a silversmith. The decorative elements are typical of the early 18th century, deriving from the work of Jean Bérain and German silversmiths.

E.1959-1991