Live Auction 2855The Decorative Arts Sale
A LARGE BRONZE MORTAR ON A STAINED WOOD PEDESTAL
Lot 241

A LARGE BRONZE MORTAR ON A STAINED WOOD PEDESTAL

JOHANNES VAN HALLE AND PAUWELS NEERINCX, PROBABLY FLEMISH, CIRCA 1688

Closed22 September 2010

Price Realised

EUR 29,800

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A LARGE BRONZE MORTAR ON A STAINED WOOD PEDESTAL
JOHANNES VAN HALLE AND PAUWELS NEERINCX, PROBABLY FLEMISH, CIRCA 1688
The flaring rim inscribed IOHANNES VAN HALLE HEEFT MIJ GEGOTEN ANNO 1688, above an acanthus and foliate frieze, the lower frieze inscribed BY MANCKEMENT VAN 'T GELDT HEEFT PAUWELS NEERINCX MY HERSTELDT 1688, bronze pestle associated
The mortar 29.5 cm. high x 40 cm. diam.; the pestle 37 cm. long; the pedestal 58 cm. high (3)

Specialist note

This well cast 17th Century mortar is signed by two different founders. The lower frieze is inscribed with a short rhyme meaning 'by shortage of money Pauwels Neerincx restored me 1688'. The term 'hersteldt' probably means recast (no repairs are visible!) or finished. Possibly Van Halle prepared the cast of this mortar but ran out of money or material the so-called 'bell metal' and could not make the actual cast. Possibly Neerincx took over the cast and finished this mortar emphasizing the failure of Van Halle with his less sensitive rhyme.