A low stemmed Salver with elevated centre 900/1000 gilt silver chiselled decoration with central medallion "St. George on horseback slaying the Dragon" surrounded by a frieze of "Classical Amphorae flanked by fantastic beasts and foliage" encircled by a "Fence of ropes rolled around stakes" and "Overlapping bay leaves"; chiselled rim "Classical amphorae flanked by dragons and other fantastic beasts among vegetal motifs" Portuguese 16th C. (early) regilded, central medallion of the same period, adapted, probably German twice marked "IF" probably a Juiz de Ofício (goldsmith authority) of the city of Oporto, two visible assay marks, remarked with Austrian import mark from Vienna (1872-1901) Dimensões (altura x comprimento x largura) - 7 x 33,2 cm; Peso - 977,3 g. Notes: Participation in bidding this lot requires prior registration and a bail deposit in the amount of € 30,000 to be received until 13 March 2017, included: IBAN: PT 50 0043 0001 04001066743 73/SWIFT Code: DEUTPTPL.

References: vd. ALMEIDA, Fernando Moitinho de - "Marcas de Pratas Portuguesas e Brasileiras (Século XV a 1887)". Lisboa: IN-CM, 1995, P313B; e SILVA, Nuno Vassalo e - "Ourivesaria Portuguesa de Aparato. Séculos XV e XVI". Lisboa: SCRIBE, 2012.



This elegant salver, with its original low stem, is a fine example of the introduction of Renaissance language in Portuguese civil silver at the beginning of the 16th century, described in the documentation as "the Roman manner". It follows the scheme of Gothic salvers with the ornaments distributed uninterruptedly on the rim and around the elevated central medallion, the last one representing St. George and the Dragon. According to Expert Henrique Correia Braga, though later adapted to the salver, the central medallion is from the same time of the salver, or even earlier, possibly German. All the embellishments are inspired in the "grotesque", in this case with fantastic beasts flanking symmetrical classical amphorae which develop by windings, ending in fantastic beasts facing each other. "Grotesque" motifs are diffused with full expression in the Portuguese art of the time, of which the embellishment of the cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery is a true catalogue. The taste for detail, still of Gothic tradition, can be seen in the complex work of reproduction of a fence of coiled rope which encloses the centre of the salver. This is embellished with fantastic creatures who apparently cannot transpose it. Although following classical motifs, it denounces the fact that the workshop where it was executed was not interely familiar with the precision of the design of the new Renaissance motifs used, in a demand to satisfy the desire for novelty of the clientelles, given the fact they almost get confused with medieval bestiary. Cabral Moncada Auctioneers wishes to express his recognition and thanks Doutor Nuno Vassallo e Silva and Expert Henrique Correia Braga for their contribution to the description and historical-artistic framework of this salver.

Information: to all due effects, we inform that the Direcção-Geral do Património Cultural / Ministério da Cultura de Portugal (Cultural Heritage Office/ Ministery of Culture of Portugal), to whom we have previously communicated the auctioning of this salver, formally notified Cabral Moncada Leilões, in 9.3.2017, that it does not intend to acquire, or open a legal administrative procedure in order to classify this salver.