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a silver plated book with a picture of a woman and a man on it
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767 - Book covers Baroque book cover made of embossed silver, 12.
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Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Sale commission
Description
Book covers Baroque book cover made of embossed silver, 12.8 x 18.8 cm (when opened), 245 grams. Each cover features a large central panel depicting a putto, supported and crowned by further putti, as well as a portrait of Christ, surrounded by rich floral and plant motifs and decorative acanthus tendrils. The spine features further plant tendrils with a central depiction of a saint, flanked at the top and bottom by putto heads. The intact clasp bears a further depiction of a saint. Hallmarked with a fleur-de-lis (unidentifiable), a struck head mark and ‘G’. Slight wear, some faint scratches in places, slightly tarnished; overall in very good condition. Since the 17th century, Paris had been the leading centre of French silversmithing, playing a pioneering role in European arts and crafts. The ornamentation, comprising asymmetrically curved volutes, naturalistic tendrils and a shell motif on the spine, is characteristic of the Rocaille style – that genuinely French style which emerged around 1700 from grotesque ornamentation and the Baroque cartouche tradition, and was significantly influenced by Meissonier’s *Livre d’Ornements*. Stylistically, the binding belongs to the transitional phase from the Régence period (c. 1715–1730) to the mature Louis XV style (until c. 1760), during which the heavy forms of the Grand Siècle gave way to lighter, curvilinear and organic Rocaille forms. The iconographic programme combines sacred and decorative elements: the central depiction of Christ on both covers is framed by cherubs supporting and crowning the figure, a pictorial scheme that integrates the divine figure into a dynamic compositional structure supported by angelic beings, rather than enclosing it – as in the stricter Baroque tradition – within rigid architectural cartouches. The reverse, featuring a depiction of a saint between cherub heads, and the clasp, with a further figure of a saint, complement this programme to form a self-contained sacred-decorative system in which religious motifs and rocaille ornamentation – shell motifs, volutes, acanthus tendrils – blend seamlessly. Thomas Germain (1673–1748) is regarded as the most significant representative of Parisian Rococo silversmithing; whose workshop played a decisive role in establishing the rocaille style in silversmithing; although this cover does not originate from his workshop, his work illustrates the art-historical context in which this ornamental language reached its full expression in Paris. The maker’s mark, comprising a fleur-de-lis, an inverted head mark and the initial ‘G’, confirms its French origin; however, in the absence of a legible date mark, it does not allow for precise dating or attribution to a specific master – comparable marks featuring a crown, a lily and an individual symbol are documented, for example, for the master Pierre Guéry of Fontenay-le-Comte. Overall, the object attests to the continuity of an iconographic repertoire comprising putti, rocaille motifs and religious imagery, which was firmly established in the French silversmithing craft of the early to mid-18th century. Silver Bookbinding. France, c. 1700–1740. Baroque book cover in repoussé silver, 12.8 x 18.8 cm (when open), 245 grams. Each cover features a large central medallion depicting putti, supported and crowned by further putti, together with a portrait of Christ, surrounded by rich floral and plant motifs and ornamental acanthus scrolls. The spine features further plant-inspired scrollwork with a central depiction of a saint, flanked above and below by putti heads. The intact clasp bears a further depiction of a saint. Stamped with a fleur-de-lis (not further identifiable), an indistinct maker’s mark, and the letter ‘G’. Slight rubbing, some minor scratches, slightly tarnished, overall in very good condition. Paris had been the leading centre of French silversmithing since the 17th century, assuming a pioneering role within European decorative arts. The ornamentation—asymmetrically curving volutes, naturalistic scrollwork, and the shell motif on the spine – points directly to the ‘forme rocaille’, that genuinely French style which emerged around 1700 from the structural transformation of grotesque ornamentation and the Baroque cartouche tradition, decisively shaped by Meissonnier’s *Livre d’Ornements*. Stylistically, the binding belongs to the transitional phase from the Régence (c. 1715–1730) to the mature Louis XV style (up to c. 1760), during which the heavier forms of the Grand Siècle gave way to lighter, curvilinear rocaille shapes. The iconographic programme combines sacred and decorative elements: the central depiction of Christ on both covers is framed by supporting and crowning putti, a compositional scheme that embeds the divine figure within a dynamic arrangement borne by angelic beings, rather than confining it—as in the stricter Baroque tradition—within rigid architectural cartouches. The spine, featuring an image of a saint flanked by putti heads, and the clasp bearing a further saintly figure, complete this programme, forming a self-contained sacred-decorative system in which religious motifs and rocaille ornamentation—shellwork, volutes, acanthus scrolls—are closely intertwined. Thomas Germain (1673–1748) is regarded as the most eminent representative of Parisian Rococo silversmithing; his workshop played a decisive role in establishing the rocaille style within the silversmith’s craft, although the present binding does not originate from his workshop; his body of work illustrates the art-historical context in which this ornamental language – shellwork, volutes and putti motifs – reached its fullest expression in Paris. The maker’s mark, comprising the fleur-de-lis, an indistinct head mark and the initial ‘G’, confirms a French origin; however, the absence of a legible date letter precludes precise dating or attribution to a specific master. Comparable marks combining a crown, a lily and an individual symbol are documented, for instance, for the master Pierre Guéry of Fontenay-le-Comte. Overall, the object bears witness to the continuity of an iconographic repertoire of putti, rocaille and religious imagery that was firmly established within French silversmithing from the early to mid-18th century.
See original version (German)
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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