An important Meissen silver-gilt-mounted tankard with Saxon crossed swords and AR monogram in gilt carouches, circa 1725-30
Finely painted with a chinoiserie scene depicting figures and children around two fountains, with another figure suspended on drapery from rockwork above, within an elaborate gilt scrollwork cartouche filled with B?ttger lustre, forming a balcony on each side with two figures seated below a multi-tier pagoda roof, each with a gilt and lustre banner displaying crossed swords and an eagle, respectively, the reverse with two branches of indianische Blumen flanking the handle, similar decorated with flowers, formal gilt floral border to rim, the silver gilt mounts, each marked for Elias Adam, Augsburg, 1729-33, applied with four classical profile medallions against chased bands of strapwork, the top of the cover with a quatrefoil medallion depicting a seated figure and a crocodile, emblematic of Africa, within a similar strapwork border, the thumbpiece with two lion's head terminals, 20.2cm high
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Provenance:Property from the collection of the Hon. Evelena Rothschild and the Behrens Family, sold at Christie's London, 4 July 2017, lot 157The banners on the sides of the cartouche on this tankard bear the Electoral crossed swords of Saxony and the Polish Eagle, respectively, suggest - together with the exceptional quality of the decoration - that it may have been made for a member of the court or as a gift from the Elector.Similar fine silver-gilt covers are on a chinoiserie tankard in the Arnhold Collection, New York (M. Cassidy-Geiger, The Arnhold Collection of Meissen Porcelain (2008), no. 164); another in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (U. Pietsch, Johann Gregorius H?roldt (1996), no. 108; another in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (inv. no. C.995-1919, with Augsburg mark for 1737-39 and maker's mark for J.E. Heuglin); as well as another from this collection, sold in these Rooms, 2 July 2019, lot 16.