拍品专文
The medallions on the bases of the present candlesticks depict prince William V of Orange (1748-1806) and his wife Wilhelmina of Prussia (1751-1820). After the fourth Dutch-British war (1780-1784) patriots seized power in the Dutch republic and prince William was forced to leave the country. Two years later Prince William recaptured power with the aid of a Prussian army. After France declared war on the Republic in 1795 the princely family fled to England. With these candlesticks the owner could display his favourable disposition towards the house of Orange in this troublesome period.
Large silver objects with the portraits of the prince and his wife is extremely rare. One example is a tobacco pot made by Groningen silversmith Jan ter Huisen in 1 in the collection of the Groninger Museum (Exh. cat. Groninger zilver, Groninger Museum, Groningen, 1975. p. 91, no. 234, illustrated; F. Grijzenhout and C. van Tuyll van Seroosker-ken (ed.), Edele eenvoud 1765-1800, Zwolle, 1989, p. 149, no. 159). Smaller items, such as snuffboxes, purses, and badges, mainly manufactured in Schoonhoven, have survived in larger quantities. Date letters on these objects show that most of them were made shortly after the return of the Prince to The Hague in 1787. The present candlesticks however were manufactured as late as 1807, i.e. one year after the death of the Prince. By that time Louis Napoleon had been appointed head of state of the newly established Kingdom Holland by his brother Napoleon Bonaparte. Apparently for some people William V still represented the house of Orange for in the same period creamware plates with the portraits of the princely family were manufactured by the British factory Keeling Toft & Co. (1806-1824).
For comparative literature:
D.F. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Oranje op aardewerk. Van Willem de Zwijger tot Koningin Beatrix, Lochem, 1994, pp. 87-114.
Large silver objects with the portraits of the prince and his wife is extremely rare. One example is a tobacco pot made by Groningen silversmith Jan ter Huisen in 1 in the collection of the Groninger Museum (Exh. cat. Groninger zilver, Groninger Museum, Groningen, 1975. p. 91, no. 234, illustrated; F. Grijzenhout and C. van Tuyll van Seroosker-ken (ed.), Edele eenvoud 1765-1800, Zwolle, 1989, p. 149, no. 159). Smaller items, such as snuffboxes, purses, and badges, mainly manufactured in Schoonhoven, have survived in larger quantities. Date letters on these objects show that most of them were made shortly after the return of the Prince to The Hague in 1787. The present candlesticks however were manufactured as late as 1807, i.e. one year after the death of the Prince. By that time Louis Napoleon had been appointed head of state of the newly established Kingdom Holland by his brother Napoleon Bonaparte. Apparently for some people William V still represented the house of Orange for in the same period creamware plates with the portraits of the princely family were manufactured by the British factory Keeling Toft & Co. (1806-1824).
For comparative literature:
D.F. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Oranje op aardewerk. Van Willem de Zwijger tot Koningin Beatrix, Lochem, 1994, pp. 87-114.
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