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This extravagant and almost impossibly balanced coconut cup with cover takes on the guise of a functional object but is really a vehicle for showing off incredible craftsmanship. From just a year later, 1607, and made by Frederiks Andries in Amsterdam, this cup perfectly marries the ‘exotic’ object, the coconut, with the native Dutch silversmithing tradition of weirdly wonderful naturalistic forms made popular in the auricular or Kwab style by artists like Adam and Paul van Vianen. The sculpted silver forms of turtles, dolphins, shells, fish, and finally the crowning finial of Neptune all nod to the source of the exotic goods in the Netherlands: Dutch maritime prowess. Coconuts may have come to early modern Europe from a number of tropical sources, and would have shown the owner of this cup to have ties with global trade. The original patron of this cup is not known—though they must have been both wealthy and well connected—but it was known to be in the collection of Anne-Louis-Alexandre de Montmorency, 7th Prince of Robecq, at the time of the French Revolution.
Covered coconut cup
Frederiks Andries (Dutch, 1566–1627)
Dutch (Amsterdam)
1607
Medium/Technique
Silver, coconut
Dimensions
Overall: 34.5 × 22.9 × 12.7 cm (13 9/16 × 9 × 5 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, in honor of Thomas S. Michie, and in support of the Center for Netherlandish Art
Accession Number2020.410
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsSilver
This extravagant and almost impossibly balanced coconut cup with cover takes on the guise of a functional object but is really a vehicle for showing off incredible craftsmanship. From just a year later, 1607, and made by Frederiks Andries in Amsterdam, this cup perfectly marries the ‘exotic’ object, the coconut, with the native Dutch silversmithing tradition of weirdly wonderful naturalistic forms made popular in the auricular or Kwab style by artists like Adam and Paul van Vianen. The sculpted silver forms of turtles, dolphins, shells, fish, and finally the crowning finial of Neptune all nod to the source of the exotic goods in the Netherlands: Dutch maritime prowess. Coconuts may have come to early modern Europe from a number of tropical sources, and would have shown the owner of this cup to have ties with global trade. The original patron of this cup is not known—though they must have been both wealthy and well connected—but it was known to be in the collection of Anne-Louis-Alexandre de Montmorency, 7th Prince of Robecq, at the time of the French Revolution.
DescriptionCoconut with silver mounts in the form of a dolphin's curling tail and a figural spout, supported by a siren riding a dolphin and standing on a stepped circular base with four cast feet in the form of turtles. Fitted cover with figural finial of Neptune holding a trident.
Marks
Assay mark of Amsterdam on one of the turtles, base rim, molding inside base and reverse of base; date letter "S"; unidentified maker's mark (animal in shaped sheild) struck at the rim base.
Provenance18th century, possibly given by Anne-Christian de Montmorency-Luxembourg, Comte de Luxembourg (b. 1767 – d. 1821), Château Cany, Cany-Barville, France to Hyacinthe-Antoine Pessey (b. 1773 – d. 1840), Château Cany; until 2019, passed by descent with the Pessey family [see note 1]; November 19, 2019, anonymous (Pessey descendant) sale, Sotheby’s, Paris, lot 11. March 2020, sold by Koopman Rare Art, London, to Eijk and Rose-Marie van Otterloo, Marblehead, MA; 2020, gift of Eijk and Rose-Marie van Otterloo to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 16, 2020)
NOTES:
[1] According to family tradition, this cup was given by Anne-Louis-Alexandre de Montmorency, 7th Prince of Robecq (b. 1724 – d. 1812) to Mr. Pessey as a token of thanks for his stewardship of the Château Cany during the French Revolution. Pessey was in fact administrator of the Château, but it was owned at that time by Anne-Christian de Montmorency-Luxembourg and his wife, Armande-Louise-Marie de Becdelièvre (b. 1769 – d. 1832).
NOTES:
[1] According to family tradition, this cup was given by Anne-Louis-Alexandre de Montmorency, 7th Prince of Robecq (b. 1724 – d. 1812) to Mr. Pessey as a token of thanks for his stewardship of the Château Cany during the French Revolution. Pessey was in fact administrator of the Château, but it was owned at that time by Anne-Christian de Montmorency-Luxembourg and his wife, Armande-Louise-Marie de Becdelièvre (b. 1769 – d. 1832).