Live Auction 6717The Sunday Sale
A SWISS WALNUT ARMORIAL COFFER
Lot 30

A SWISS WALNUT ARMORIAL COFFER

NEUCHATEL, LATE 16TH CENTURY, PROBABLY PARTIALLY LATER CARVED

Closed16 September 2012

Price Realised

GBP 5,625

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A SWISS WALNUT ARMORIAL COFFER
NEUCHATEL, LATE 16TH CENTURY, PROBABLY PARTIALLY LATER CARVED
The front carved with the arms of Wallier to the left panel and Estavayer to the right panel, flanking a central panel carved with Bacchus and Ceres, the sides with carrying-handles
27¼ in. (69.2 cm.) high; 72¼ in. (183.5 cm.) wide; 28.1.4 in. (71.7 cm.) deep

By repute, commissioned by Franois Wallier (1558-1615) and his wife Marguerite d'Estavayer, in order to commemorate their wedding in 1592.
And thence by descent in Grand-Vivy until 1905 when the property was taken over by the Marquis de Maillardoz.

Specialist note

The arms are those of François Wallier (1558-1615) and his wife Marguerite d'Estavayer (dates?) who married in 1592. Wallier was a gentleman of the bedchamber for the Duke of Longueville, state councellor of Neuchâtel and member of parliament in Fribourg.

This particular example is typical of the tradition of making armorial wedding chests in the 17th century in the Fribourg region. A chest with the same arms is mentioned by Paul de Pury in 1907 and another similar example is in the collection of the Gruyre Museum in Bulle (see H. Naef, L'art et l'histoire en Gruyre. Le Muse Grurien, Fribourg, 1930, p.21,52, pl.VIII).