About this lot

Description

A 17th century Dutch metalwares brandy bowl, maker's mark not traced, Groningen 1667/1668, of oval lobed form heavily decorated with repoussé foliage with an alliance armorial to the side, applied cast dragon mask flying scroll handles and raised on a lobed pedestal foot, engraved underneath 'Swaentien / Dema 1667', 9.8ozt
Other Notes: Two-handled silver bowls were used at festive occasions, and brandewijn, a liquor distilled from wine to which sugar and raisins were added, was served from them with a spoon. Brandy bowls were made mainly along the Dutch Wadden Sea; the northern Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen, and in parts of northern Germany. The most sought after are the Groningen bowls with vertical handles and the Frisian bowls with horizontal handles. In the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries they were usually octagonal with hand chased decorative or biblical scenes. During the seventeenth century the oval shaped bowl became popular; lobed and often decorated with chased and engraved floral and geometrical bands, leafy tendrils and symbols. The handles were usually cast and applied separately. The presence of alliance crests (two family crests side by side) on brandy bowls and spoons suggests that they also functioned as a wedding gift. They would be filled and left on the table at the wedding feast so that guests could toast the happy couple. This theory is reinforced on this example with an alliance crest to the side together with the engraving on the underside of the foot, which may be the couple's Christian names and the wedding date.

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