Large Renaissance Revival Pendant in the Manner of Reinhold Vasters, c. 1890

The art of the goldsmith creates not only pieces of jewellery for everyday use or selected occasions. The masters of their trade also create works of art in their own right, collector's items with no purpose other than to inspire the joy of beauty and craftsmanship. In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the masters created precious bowls, goblets and figurines for the rulers of Europe: pieces that were intended to rouse admiration. Similar collector's items were also created in the 19th century, but now for the wealthy bourgeois of Europe and the USA. This is one such spectacular collector's item, a pendant far too large to wear on the body. We see a dragon, a monster, multicolored in the shine of transparent enamel on its body of gold. Its body is curled, its large teeth are bared. Shimmering emeralds drip from its back. A lady rides the dragon, almost unclothed except for a flowing scarf. She wields a sword and holds a diamond shield. There is no doubt: she will conquer the beast. The pendant is richly enamelled and set with pearls, diamonds and Colombian emeralds. A large emerald occupies the suspension at the upper end, from which a small bell swings. The work is as richly decorated as it is detailed. It is a pleasure to lose yourself in the numerous inventions of the goldsmith – and not least to feel the large, heavy work of high-carat gold in your hand. The depiction is puzzling. We think that we are witnessing the victory of truth over lies and falsehood. In ancient mythology, Aletheia, a daughter of Zeus, was the goddess of truth. The Romans called her Veritas. Aletheia is usually depicted naked in art, as the proverbial "naked truth". On a Renaissance taler from Brunswick, she stands victorious over lies and slander, as here. Or is it a Nereid, a companion of Poseidon, who rides on hippocampi? Showpieces with often ambivalent content, which were intended to stimulate conversation, were created in the late 19th century in the workshop of Reinhold Vasters, a goldsmith from Aachen, among others. Vasters' works were of such great finesse that they were sometimes regarded as genuine, antique Renaissance pieces and as such were not only collected by the Rothschilds. A wonderful, large work from his circle can be found, for example, in the MET in New York, from the collection of J. Pierpont Morgan, Inv. No. 1975.1.1513. Such allegorical or fantastical designs were a specialty of Vasters. The Victoria & Albert Museum in London also holds a special treasure, a large collection of design drawings from his hand. There are similar designs to our pendant, see for example this sketch of a sea creature, Inv. No. E.3404-1919 The format, the quality of the execution and not least the motif suggest that the pendant was created in Vasters' circle, certainly for the same audience that collected his works. We therefore date it, like Vasters' works, to the late 19th century. We discovered this unique pendant in the Netherlands. It has survived in first-class condition and comes in an antique case that was fitted for this very pendant.

Estimation:€35,890

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