A C1624 Gilt Silver Mounted Serpentine Tankard

By Salvatore Mazzone - Florida Sun Steiners

This impressive lidded tankard consists of a baluster shaped body of serpentine stone held by two decorated bands of gilded silver, one below the rim, and the other around the middle. The base is encircled by a gilded silver foot decorated with an acanthus leaf design.

The scroll shaped silver handle features a female figure above a salamander and the thumbpiece is formed by a double-tailed Siren, known as Sirena Bicodula.

The richly decorated domed lid is crowned by a pineapple. The inside of the lid is engraved with the date "1624" and a coat of arms that has been identified as that of the Austrian noble family Von Hagen. This coat of arms is listed in the Siebmachers Wappenbuch, published in Nuremberg in 1605.

Serpentine is a relatively soft semi-precious stone used in architectural and ornamental applications and gem making. It has a patterned appearance and a slippery feel that is reminiscent of a snake, which is how it gets name.

It is also known for its translucent diaphaneity, waxy luster, ease of being cut into shapes, and its ability to accept a polish.

Since the late-Medieval period, the German province of Saxony was the main area where serpentine was mined and used in applied arts, foremost in and around Zöblitz. It was a precious commodity and serpentine vessels were often set in exquisite silver and gold mountings. August I Elector of Saxony (1526-1586), who referred to himself as Serpentindrechsler ("serpentine turner"), held the exclusive right to mine serpentine in Zöblitz, which also allowed him to be in control of who was able to acquire the stuff. It was in Saxony also where craftsmen fashioned the bodies, largely via turning on foot powered treadle lathes.

The mounting of silver work on serpentine pieces, however, rarely occurred in Zöblitz. The turned serpentine tankards were sent on to important artistic centers such as Augsburg and Nuremberg where they were fitted with their mounts. This work was mostly done by anonymous artists. The impressive mounting of this piece, however, was created by the Augsburg silversmith Matthäus I. Seutter. He was born around 1574 and was active from 1602 onwards. Two years after his master's test, he joined the Silversmith's Guild in 1604. He married in 1603 and died in Augsburg in 1632.

The piece sold at auction in 2011 for a hammer price of 42,000 euros, which would have equated to 58,380 US dollars at the time.

For an in-depth review of serpentine steins, the reader is referred to Eric Salzano's article in the December 2022 issue of Prosit.

References:

The information in this article was extracted from the website of Kollenburg Antiquairs, https://www.kollenburgantiquairs.com/Works-of-Art/Silver-Gilt-Mounted-Serpentine-Tankard.-Saxony.-1624