Beschreibung:

A highly important French silver cup and cover Signed and dated by Jean-Frédéric (Johann Friederich) Baer, Strasbourg, 1746 Triangular with cut corners, the plain border to the foot engraved 'Joh. Friederich Baer inv. et Fecit à Strasbourg Ano. 1756' (sic), with cast and chased border of vertical palm leaves and waisted plain band above, the raised centre repoussé and chased on a matted ground with shells, scrolls, seaweed and rocaille, the stem formed as a figure of Pan eating bunches of grapes seated in a bower of bull-rushes, acanthus foliage and grape vines; the shaped sides of the bowl each with three horizontal scenes divided by plain waisted and applied ribbon-tied reeded bands, the lower bombé part chased with three scenes of the infant Jupiter, one of him holding a spear and a shield between an owl and a cockerel, another asleep between a hound and a sheep and the third, holding a sword and hurling a thunderbolt between an eagle and a peacock, the truncated corners with a monkey seated beneath a parasol, and a peacock and dead game all within rococo scroll cartouches, the waisted middle panel repoussé , chased and applied in high relief with an equestrian battle scene before a village and church, soldiers playing dice on a drum within a tent and with horses within an encampment and a second equestrian battle scene with an officer in the foreground, the corners with three differing satyr's masks, the upper panel with a naval engagement, soldiers preparing to fire a cannon at a town, and dismounted soldiers with their horses, with an attack on a fort in the background, the corner panels chased with rococo ornament, with moulded border and detachable silver-gilt liner; the flat border to the cover chased on one side with a portrait bust between a scene of a seated silversmith with raising anvil and hammer at his feet and a heating cauldron of pitch and box of chasing punches beside him on a table, and, on the other, with a swan and house on stilts in a river, the other sides with a farmer, fishing scenes and sheep within band of scrolling rococo ornament, the waisted raised centre chased with band of rocaille and ovolo and, above the portrait bust, with a figure standing on a balcony smoking a long pipe within further band of rocaille ornament, the finial formed as the figure of Hercules with applied lion's pelt and wielding a club above the chained three-headed dog, Cerberus on a plinth chased with the inscription ' Mit dem Keul Schlage ich Meine feinde unter mich ' and the signature 'BAER fecit in Argentinenses 1746' , the interior of the cover also with detachable silver-gilt liner secured by a silver-gilt flower-head, the central rod to the stem held in place by a silver tulip-flower beneath the base, in later fitted leather-case with gilt foliage borders. 14¾ in. (37.5 cm.) high 36 oz. (1,140 gr.) The German inscription translates as ' with this club I strike my enemies under me '. The word Argentinenses is the Latin for Strasbourg. This lot will include the following Old Master picture illustrated on page.....: STRASBOURG SCHOOL, MID 18TH CENTURY Portrait of the silversmith, Jean-Frédéric Baer (1721-1795), half-length, seated beside his masterpiece and a repoussé hammer and two chasing tools resting on a marble shelf Oil on canvas 38¼ x 30½ in. (97.1 x 77.5 cm.)