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Rothschild Masterpieces
17th century jewels, porcelain of Urbino and a series of exquisite panels in golden leather, depicting the Triumph of David, from the castle of Weißenstein in Pommersfelden, in Germany. In France, in the early 19th century, baron James started to expand the banking empire of the De Rothschild Frères family. His influence grew when he consolidated the company as principal banker of the French state: he financed the construction of railways and mines and invested in foreign trade such as wine and tea, becoming one of the richest men in the world. The Rothschilds accumulated a collection which underlined their luxurious lifestyle. As Jonathan Rendell, vice president of Christie’s Americas, states: “It is a family which accumulated the largest fortune in Europe in the space from two to three generations. They were not only rich, but they were also a political force. Their collection reflects a family which considered itself part of the great merchant princes of Italy and of the various royal German families”. “The Rothschilds were legendary collectors. They had this incredible appetite for the best: they were not only great, but also rare examples of a specific style or examples of academic interest”, states Dominic Simpson, senior international consultant, European Ceramics.
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A sinistra: coppa Nautilus olandese con base circolare a
cupola e bordo cesellato con mostri marini su fondo ondulato,
il gambo decorato con volute di grifone intervallate da fiori, il
bordo a beccuccio inciso con il profilo di un soldato fiancheggiato
da foglie e fiori scorrevoli, il cartiglio del nautilus applicato ad una maschera grottesca a bocca aperta sormontata da una Nike femminile in piedi su una sfera alata. Marchio di Cornelis Jansz Van Der Burch, Delft, 1607. A destra: distintivo rinascimentale di forma ovale, la cornice formata da volute gotiche fogliate applicate sul davanti con tre margherite smaltate e sei rubini cabochon, sotto una corona tempestata di diamanti, al centro un cigno smaltato di bianco con le ali spiegate e dotato di corona, con tre anelli sospesi sul retro. Francia o Inghilterra, XV secolo.
Left: Dutch Nautilus cup with circular dome-shaped base and rim chiselled with marine monsters on undulated bottom, the stem is decorated with griffin scrolls interspersed with flowers, the spout-shaped rim is engraved with the profile of a soldier flanked by scrolling leaves and flowers, the Nautilus scroll applied to a grotesque mask with open mouth topped by a female Nike standing on a winged orb. Mark of Cornelis Jansz Van Der Burch, Delft, 1607. To the right: Renaissance oval shaped badge, the frame is formed by foliate Gothic scrolls applied to the front with three enamelled daisies and six cabochon rubies, under a crown studded with diamonds, at the centre a white enamelled swan with open wings and crown, three rings hanging on the back. France or England, 15th century.