A rare Italian ribbed mortar dated 1467 - image-1

Lot 630 Dα

A rare Italian ribbed mortar dated 1467

Auction 1152 - overview Cologne
29.05.2020, 11:00 - Highly Important Mortars from the Schwarzach Collection II
Estimate: 4.000 € - 6.000 €
Result: 10.000 € (incl. premium)
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A rare Italian ribbed mortar dated 1467

Golden brown cast bronze with dark brown patina. Six architectural ribs of Gothic design, the rim with a broad band inscribed in capital letters: "MENSIS MADIVS MCCCC L X V II". Minor dents to the rim. H 9, D 12.3 cm. Weight c. 1.9 kg.
Attributed to Florence, 1467.

The exact attribution of this type of Italian ribbed mortar is extremely difficult, as the casting of the decoration was popular in many regions of Italy in the 15th century. The most famous caster of this decoration was Giuliano Mariotto de' Navi (active around 1480 - 1515), who lived in Florence. A mortar with similar ribbed decor, signed by him and dated 1490, can be found in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (inv. no. M.21-1923). It displays notable stylistic parallels to the present work. Another mortar with comparable decor dated 1420 is housed in a private collection in Ohio, USA, thus confirming the dissemination of this particular decorative scheme from the early 15th century onwards.

Literature

Cf. Motture, Bells & Mortars, Catalogue of Italian Bronzes in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2001, cat. no. 9.
Cf. Launert, Der Mörser, Munich 1990, illus. 215.