Flask, German, 1600-1700, wood

A small spherical flask in carved boxwood, with a stopper in the shaped of an African male turbanned head. The flask is carved in relief with four almost identical Renaissance-style masks with foliage and deep-cut eyes coloured black. A tiny cavity in each mouth appears to have been stopped with a filler which has blackened with age. The masks are divided by vertical bands of ornament, with leaf pendants between parallel lines. The background is punched to create a matt texture in contrast to the polished wood of the masks. The neck of the flask has bands of carved ornament. A circular hole in the bottom of the flask has been plugged with a plaster-like material. The neck of the flask is fitted with a later wood plug, pierced in the centre to take a later wood tenon in the stopper.

The stopper is carved in the form of the head of a young male of African descent, wearing a turban, with hair showing at the sides and back. The eyes sockets are fitted with tiny white glass eyes with black pupils, and the ears have been drilled; they were perhaps once fitted with beads. There is a patch of shellac filler on one side of the turban which might conceal a further drilled hole. The mouth and the folds of the turban are cut in straight lines possibly using a small saw. The material of the stopper has not yet been identified, but is almost certainly of organic origin. The lack of visible grain suggests that it is not wood. Inside the ears it is possible to detect a brown outer layer and white inner filling, possibly. There are dark cracks across the face and a brass collar has been fitted to the neck, possibly a later addition, to hold the stopper together.

Small virtuoso carved objects such as this flask were collected by wealthy citizens in the 17th century. It was probably intended to hold perfume, but would have been appreciated for its craftsmanship more than its usefulness. It was probably made in Germany between 1600 and 1700.

The acquisition source for the flask is given in Museum records as 'A.S. Drey, Munich, via Kreittmayer'. Aaron S. Drey founded his prominent art firm in the 1860s. In 1872 13 small carved wood objects were bought for the Museum from his shop. The earlier provenance is not known.

Fine woodcarving was a speciality of Germany from the 1400s. Small virtuoso carved objects such as this boxwood flask, made in the 17th century, were collected by wealthy citizens as much for their decoration as their use. It was probably intended to hold perfume. The maker would have carved the masks from a printed illustration. The stopper might have been made by a different craftsman in a different, material, and is possibly not be the original.

1267-1872