Description

Fully Fitted Sewing Box

From our Sewing Box collection, we are delighted to introduce to the market this exceptional Austrian Mother of Pearl Sewing Box. The Sewing Box of large rectangular shape with a convex raised lid beautifully finished with a quilted mother of pearl exterior and six ormolu mounted oval windows with beautifully carved mother of pearl plaques. The lid of the Sewing Box features a painted oval scene depicting “spinnerin am Kreuz” (Spinner at the Cross) firmly attributed to Balthasar Wigand. When opened the Sewing Box features a fully fitted and original sewing kit with mother of pearl tools and accessories with gold mounts and enamelled pansy decoration, an inner mirror and storage area behind the mirror. The Sewing Box tray can be removed with two small tabs to access further storage below. The Austrian Mother of Pearl Sewing Box painted panel is firmly attributed to Balthasar Wigand (1770-1846) and the box to Karl Schmid who was a renowned manufacture of mother of pearl novelties see references below. The Austrian Mother of Pearl Sewing Box dates to the early 19th century circa 1820 and was likely retailed in the famous Palais Royal in France.

Reference The New York Met Accession Number 1990.328.21a–i, the London Royal Collection Inventory number RCIN 3487 , the Victoria & Albert Museum Accession Number W.12-1977, Liechtenstein The Princely Collections Inventory number GR 649 and SK 927

Literature Mark Goodger 25th Anniversary Catalogue p.33

Karl Schmid (fl. first half of the 19th century) won a bronze medal for mother-of-pearl novelties at the first Austrian Industrial Products Exhibition held in 1835. Karl Schmid, who was noted as a turner, was celebrated for his work in mother-of-pearl.

Balthasar Wigand (1770-1846) was an austrian born painter who specialised in gouache views of famous Viennese sites and buildings. He was born in 1770 as the son of a Viennese coffee roaster and graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts. He moved onto concentrate on the genre of miniature painting which he perfected over time. Specialising in small formats, his works focused mainly on the depiction of political events (such as processions) in the Napoleonic era, as well as on shaded city vedutas and landscape sceneries of his home region. His watercolours and gouaches were highly popular, and the artist was never short of new commissions. Wigand opened a workshop to meet the rising demand, where everyday objects such as sewing caskets, were decorated with his miniature paintings.

Spinnerin am Kreuz is a prominent Gothic waymarker and statue made of sandstone in Vienna, Favoriten, Austria on the historically important Triester Straße (formerly Neustädter Poststraße ) on the western ridge of the Wienerberg. In the Middle Ages, coming from the south, this was the first point from which one could see the city of Vienna. The name Creutz-Spinnerin or Spinnerin-Creutz is first documented in 1709. The Christian motifs of the crucifixion , flagellation , crowning with thorns and Ecce homo are figuratively depicted. There is a similar column with the same name in Wiener Neustadt , which was built by the master builder Michael Knab towards the end of the 14th century, he is traditionally considered the author of this column as well however, this has not been proven. There is also a legend about the spinner on the cross, which links the history of the stone column with the Crusades . According to this legend, a woman is said to have waited for her husband for years , spinning, on this spot where a wooden cross had stood at the time.

Palais Royal is the collective name of objects that were sold within a Palace in Paris. Originally it was built for Cardinal Richelieu in 1629 and was originally named Palais Cardinal but after the death of Richelieu, it was inherited by King Louis XIII and was named Palais Royal. The palace was later bequeathed to Philippe d’Orléans, a cousin of Louis XVI and in 1781, Philippe d’Orléans, on the verge of financial ruin, decided to subdivide the Palais Royal Garden, which until then had been free of any dwelling. Construction took five years, after which 90 merchants moved in. The area was a popular place for loiterers, betters, pickpockets, and prostitutes. When the revolution ended in 1799 the Palais Royal was refurbished again by Napoleon Bonaparte when he became Emperor in 1804 and it housed galleries and shops selling high quality luxury wares such as this notebook above. It again fell into disrepair when gambling was banned in 1838 but restored in the 1870s. Due to this, there are very few if any pearl Palais Royal objects crafted after 1840.

Mother of Pearl, Mother of pearl is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. It is the same material that natural pearls are made from and is desirable due to its strong and resilient makeup along with its beautiful iridescent shimmer.

Every purchase made from Mark Goodger Antiques is accompanied by a comprehensive suite of documents to ensure your satisfaction and peace of mind. This includes our latest catalogue, a Certificate of Authenticity, detailed care instructions for your chosen item, and an independent invoice for insurance purposes. Additionally, your purchase is protected by our no-hassle, money-back policy, and your item will be fully insured during the shipping process to safeguard against damage or loss.

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