Posted 10 years ago
Foundaroun…
(293 items)
Was bought at an estate sale in Dallas
Feb. 1 2013
The gentleman that had passed away worked for a geological research firm.
He had items from all over Europe and Africa.
The piece measures 24 1/4 inches across. X 2 1/4 depth
No signature or marks on the piece. It is Bronze.
Weight : 12.6 lbs
I found a similar basin in gold displayed in The Louvre.
Additional information
As the inscription on the basin shows, this ewer and basin set commemorates Charles V's conquest of Tunis in 1535. Barbarossa had taken Tunis in the summer of 1534; from the winter of that year, Charles V prepared for war to limit the Bey's power and free the many Christian slaves. In addition to its historical significance, this set – made in Antwerp – is also a splendid example of the flourishing of Flemish goldwork in the 16th century.
Commemorating the conquest of Tunis
The round basin depicts several episodes of the conquest. The inner border shows the army landing, the camp, and scenes from the battle and the bombardment of the Goulette, a canal linking Tunis to the Mediterranean. The episodes are not separated; rather, they follow naturally from each other, forming a harmonious composition. The inner surface depicts the destruction of the Goulette, the battle, the freeing of the slaves, details of the city, and the Roman ruins in Carthage. The ewer, which stands on a pedestal, takes up the same theme. The round body is decorated with a frieze of the army landing, while the upper and lower parts depict war trophies.
The subject had already been painted by Jean Vermeyen, the official artist of the conquest of Tunis, who worked first in the service of Margaret of Austria and then Mary of Hungary before working for Charles V. He also produced the cartoons for the Tunis tapestry, so it seems likely that Vermeyen worked on the models for these two items.
Two examples of Mannerist goldwork
Ewers and basins like these were commonly found in wealthy households during the Renaissance. They were usually presented on dressers as a way of hinting at the wealth and power of their owners. The shapes of the basin and the ewer offer fine examples of European Mannerist goldwork
An Exact dish was bought by the Museum in 1857 from Giovanni Franchi and Son of Clerkenwell, London. It is an exact copy of a 16th-century dish in the Musée de Louvre, Paris. Electrotype copies were used as design aids for students in the government schools of design under the aegis of the Department of Science and Art.
As an electrotype this dish is an example of a 19th-century design model. Electrotype copies were used as design aids for students in the government schools of design under the aegis of the Department of Science and Art. Electrotypes also play a key role in helping us to understand the V&A in its earliest days. The Museum bought electrotypes as part of a growing collection of reproductions. This collection enabled students to look closely at objects that were otherwise inaccessible. Electrotypes provided the same function as the Museum’s collection of plaster casts.
Electrotypes were also sold to the public. Franchi and Son sold this electrotype in a variety of finishes to suit differing tastes and budgets: copper bronzed for £10.10s, silvered and oxidised for £14.0s and gilt (such as this example) for £20.0s.
Beautiful!!