Christian Eduard Franke-Landwers Christoph Freiherr von Seckendorff

Venice, around 1600

Attributed to the workshop of Girolamo Campagna (1549-1617). Campagna settled in Venice in 1572 and soon run an important sculptor’s workshop who was primarily known for its high-quality small bronzes.

Especially his mythologic figures, often produced as decoration for andirons, served as models for numerous venetian bronze foundries.

The ideal of the Ancient World are shown here in the picture itself as well as in its excellent treatment.

The spear was added later.

Height 27 cm.

Volker Krahn, “Bronzetti veneziani”, Cologne 2003, Cat. No 36. Page 144

Bremen, masterpiece around 1785

This straight-lined front piece of furniture is characterized by ornamentation that was adapted from antique architecture.

Stout, fluted feet and a frame with elegant, floral carvings carry the substructure-commode with original, exquisitely gilt fittings, on which lies the monumental double door upper part.

A constructively forward moving middle avant-corps positioned over the full height of the cabinet connects the upper part with the substructure.

The bevelled corners of the commode part are decorated with flutings between carved acanthus leaves.

Distinct mouldings, pearl or laurel stick and rosettes structure the door fillings.

Despite its width, the upper part appears very slim due to the salient middle part and the delicate columns on the side edges.

The crowning closure of the top-mounted cabinet is a richly carved, classical amphora vase on a small socle decorated with hangings in the middle of the burst triangle gable.

The gilt applications and fittings result in a beautiful contrast on the supported veneers of pyramid mahogany.

An identic piece of top-mounted furniture is preserved together with a Bremen masterpiece of 1785 in the Frankfurt museum for applied art.

Height 290 cm, width 200 cm, depth 60 cm.

Himmelheber/ Kreisel, “Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels“, Munic 1973, volume 3, image 61.

Bauer/ Märker/ Ohm, “Europäische Möbel von der Gotik bis zum Jugendstil“, Frankfurt am Main 1976, page 132-133.

Probably Straubing, around 1460

With rests of its original, polychrome frame.

The picture of crowned Maria Iactans flanked by two angels is a common type of the picture of the Virgin Mary in devotional pictures since the Middle Age.

The Lower Bavarian area around Landshut and especially around Straubing is known for this kind of extraordinarily fine works of terracotta.

Height 31,8 cm, width 26 cm.

Probably South German around 1660

Gilded bronze.

Foot with richly divided shaft, the shape of the goblet is mounted in three straps, which are decorated with elaborately poured mascarons and qualitative portraits.

An exuberantly floral engraved tire forms the transition to the lid with a plastic figure of an arrows-shooting Amor.

Height 25 cm.

Probably Lombardy, around 1820

Nut wood veneered, originally grey marble plates.

The simple commodes with three drawers stand out for the chosen, mirrored veneer as well as for creative details like the quarter-rounded differently placed front edges, the double round arches on the middle drawer or the outstanding front drawer that is chamfered like a cornice.

From royal, Italian private property.

Height 84 cm, width 125 cm, depth 57 cm.

Neapel, first half of the 19^th century

Mahogany massive and veneered.

The legs are carried by pawn-feet with across fluted border, rectangular upholstered seats and backrests.

The fully plastic carved sphinxes on the ends of the armchairs, whose stretched back wings lead over to the backrest, are impressive.

With spectacular excavations and rediscovered wall paintings, Neapel became a cultural attraction for art connoisseurs and artists from all over Europe at the turn of the 19^th century.

The ordered furniture at that time for residences in town and in Caserta show typical Empire decoration like sphinxes, winged lions, amphoras or palms – though in moderate proportions and more with focus on elegance than on exuberant pomp.

Height 96 cm, width 60 cm, depth 75 cm.

Vienna, end of the 18th century

Limewood, carved and with its original gilding.

The extremely rich decorated watch case in the form of a classicist fountain stands on a finely structured socle decorated by a macaron with pillars.

The apertureof the clock cabinet is flanked by two mythical creatures, the dial is hanged with elaborate fruit garlands and horns of plenty.

The crowned, detailed trophy bundle is made of guidons, canons, a shield, as well as armour and helmet with a panache and is a symbol for military achievements and fortunes of war.

With quarter-hourly chime mechanism on two clocks.

Height 84 cm, width 53 cm, depth 14 cm.

Silver, Southern Germany, dated “1627“

Above a profiled foot on the cylindric wall between strapwork with three images of allegoric female figures as personifications of Spes, Caritas and Fides.

The lid with a thumb rest out of split-up leaves and emblem engraving of the Franconian-Palatine royal families of Wirsberg and Schirnding, with owner’s monogram (“H V V[on] W[irsberg] E V[on] W[irsberg] G[eborene] V[on] S[chirnding] “) and the date “1627“.

Height 11 cm.

Schrezheim, around 1770

Faience with naturalistic painting in grouch colours.

The box with lid in the form of a ripped melon with laid-on leaves and lying in a white blade shell, probably rather served decorative issues of a table and the representation of the noble host in front of his guests than the storage of dishes.

Astonishing his guests at table with surprises was a fixed component of a great feast at court, especially replications of porcelain of Faience were popular, therefore.

Length 28 cm.

Venice, around 1865

Wood, carved, framed and partly gilt.

On a pedestal with four kneeling servants that is decorated with lancet leaves and a circumferential frieze with animal motif is shown the body of a charming, richly decorated Egyptian beauty carrying a tray on her head.

Since Napoleon ‘s Egypt campaign in 1798, the orient inspires numerous academics, writers and artists.

An Egyptomania developed, that though had mostly been spurred by romanticised fantasies about the stranger exotic culture than by provable sources.

Figures of senseful odalisques or revealing dancers drive the orientalism in the occident of the 19^th century.

Height 210 cm.