Friedrich Schmidt the Elder or the Younger, lidded tankard, silver-gilt, Germany (Nuremberg), 2nd half of the 17th century.
6000,00 zł
Crafted from silver and gilt on the interior, this Baroque lidded tankard (or goblet) is by the Nuremberg silversmith Friedrich Schmidt the Elder (active from 1653) or the Younger (active in the 2nd half of the 17th century). The vessel is distinguished by a form characteristic of the artistic craftsmanship of the period and a rich iconographic program. It was executed in a style referred to in art history as Baroque Gothic Revival or the gotisierend trend.
The tankard’s body (corpus) has a slightly bulbous, ovoid shape, tapering downwards, set on a distinct foot. The central part of the body features a wide frieze with a repoussé figural scene. It depicts figures in historical or courtly attire, placed under arcades supported by columns. Two arcades are occupied by single male figures playing instruments, while the other two feature pairs – a woman and a man. At the base of one of the small columns separating the arcades, two engraved intertwined monograms are visible: TS and MJ (?), which likely represent the signature of the owners, donors, or patrons of this vessel.
The vessel’s lid is high, domed, and crowned with a decorative finial (stopper) in the form of an ornate knob. Its circumference is adorned with an inscribed band featuring stylized Gothic script/Fraktur: “es gott it vergestrit und”. The upper parts of the lid are decorated with pointed arch motifs, referencing Gothic architecture.
The large, S-shaped handle is made of a smooth silver band, strongly curved into a heart shape. It is topped with a hinge shield, characteristic of Baroque vessels, and a shaped thumb-piece (pusher) facilitating the lifting of the lid.
The foot is round, profiled, and strongly flared downwards. It is covered with relief decoration featuring “architectural” motifs, harmonizing with the ornamentation of the lid. On the undulating edge, two hallmarks are visible: the Nuremberg city mark (letter N) and the silversmith’s maker’s mark (FS).
Dimensions: 17 cm (height) x 11 cm (width with handle) x 8 cm (width without handle)
Weight: 165 g
1 in stock
The vessel exhibits clear characteristics of North European goldsmithing, with visible influences of Mannerism and early Baroque, distinguished by strong chiaroscuro achieved through deep chasing and repoussé work on the silver sheet. During that period, Nuremberg tankards and goblets were prominent export goods, commissioned by the wealthiest patricians, guilds, and courts across Europe – including Poland (mainly Gdańsk and Toruń). Hence, the vessel features an inscription in German and such a rich decorative program.
Considering Old German syntax, the text on the lid forms a rhyming inscription of a religious and wish-granting nature. The first part of the words ("it vergestrit"), when accounting for Baroque orthography and the specifics of Old German workshop inscriptions, refers to the phrase "ist verget's mit" (or the form vergelt es). The reconstructed text likely reads as follows: "... es Gott ist, vergelt's mit, und es Gott ...". This text was an element of a popular rhyming moral message. The most probable complete wording of this maxim is: "Wie es Gott ist, vergelt's mit [Frieden/Freud], und es Gott [erhalt]". A loose translation into contemporary Polish would be: "As God exists, may He repay [with peace/joy], and may God [preserve/bless] it". In Baroque German-speaking goldsmithing, the use of so-called tautological rhymes or bracketed compositions was common, where the name of God (Gott) intentionally began and ended individual lines (e.g., "Gott danken wir... und es Gott befohlen"). The inscription on Friedrich Schmidt's vessel is not a mere toasting text (commanding feasting) but a profound wish-prayer maxim, intended to bring blessings to the owner of this ornate vessel. In the 17th century, luxurious silver feasting vessels (like this tankard) were rarely used for daily purposes – they were ceremonial, wedding, guild, or gift goblets of representative character.
| Weight | 0,165 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 17 × 11 × 8 cm |
| Type |
Vessel |
| Form |
Lidded Tankard |
| Materiał |
Silver gilt |
| Kolorystyka |
Gold ,Silver |
| Technika |
Chiseling ,Repousing ,Riting |
| Czas powstania |
2nd half. 17th century |
| Era |
Baroque |
| Kraj pochodzenia |
Germany (Nuremberg) |
| Autor |
Friedrich Schmidt the Elder or the Younger |
| State of preservation |
Slightly deformed base, worn interior gilding, otherwise very good |
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