Ewer
1850-1900 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The carvings on the sides of this lidded ornamental ewer show a battle of lapiths and centaurs (a Centauromachy). On acquisition this piece was ascribed to Johann Michael Maucher (1645 - ca. 1700), but the coarse style of carving and crowded composition suggest it is a later 19th-century confection. The form of the vessel recalls courtly items in ivory of the late 17th century, as well as the engraved designs of the French artist Jean Lepautre (1618-1682), but once again here the overall shape is heavier and clumsier.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Carved ivory |
| Brief description | Ewer (cup), ivory, with scenes from the Centauromachy, Germany, ca. 1850-1900 |
| Physical description | The body of the ewer is carved with scenes from the legend of the Lapiths and Centaurs (the Centauromachy). It has an elaborately carved and scalloped top, and the handle is a harpy with elongated neck. It is formed of five parts fixed together, the lower elements partly turned, and set on a square base. The base of the cup is also scalloped, and there is a snake coiled round the stem. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Given by Dr. W. L. Hildburgh, F. S. A., 1952. Purchased by the donor from G. Kerin, Davies Street, where it was stated to have come from a "Rothschild collection". |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The carvings on the sides of this lidded ornamental ewer show a battle of lapiths and centaurs (a Centauromachy). On acquisition this piece was ascribed to Johann Michael Maucher (1645 - ca. 1700), but the coarse style of carving and crowded composition suggest it is a later 19th-century confection. The form of the vessel recalls courtly items in ivory of the late 17th century, as well as the engraved designs of the French artist Jean Lepautre (1618-1682), but once again here the overall shape is heavier and clumsier. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.29-1952 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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