SILVER WRTITING SET. VICENTE ROCES, ZARAGOZA (SPAIN), CA. 1760.
Antiques - Miscellaneous / Silver Works
Reference: Z6304
Silver writing desk. Vicente Roces, Zaragoza, circa 1760. With contrast marks and initials of ownership at the base. The base tray is square in shape with mixed-linear profiles and rests on legs with plant motifs. The four containers have helical scalloped feet and flower-shaped pearl-like finials on the lids. A candlestick emerges from another container, taller than the others and fixed to the tray, with a curved arm ending in a volute, and is attached to it by a hinge. The bell, also with helical scalloped edges, is topped by a figure of a soldier. The pen holder has holes in the lid for the pens, and is the same size as another of the containers, which was probably the inkwell. Two others, slightly larger, also do not have a perforated lid, and may have been used for drying sand and were therefore called “areillos”. The bell, used to call the service, secretary, etc., has another small jar as its base, similar to the rest but much higher, from the top of which the candlestick emerges. Stylistically, the clean lines show a very slight influence of Neoclassicism, while the helical scallops, the movement of the profiles of the containers, and the type of tray (called “contours” and very popular in silverwork in this century) reflect a strong survival of models related to the Rococo. Zaragoza continued to be the main silver centre of Aragon, with an abundance of preserved pieces and many marked, allowing for a detailed study. The hallmarks ensure the quality of the material and allow us to locate the manufacture and the author of the work. The locality marks, on the arm of the candlestick, place the work in Zaragoza, and date it as having been made between around 1760 and 1770. The craftsman marks, also there and another one on the base, allude to the silversmith Vicente Roces, known for his fine works in the Rococo style such as the Reliquary of Saint Francis Xavier from the last quarter of the 18th century in the Church of Santa María de Sangüesa (Navarra) and some others in important private collections. Weight: 1,525 gr.
· Size: 18x23x25 cms.
5.500 €
