Pair of Small Apothecary's Jars. Augsburg. 1614-1616. Tobias Kicklinger. Photo Van Ham

Silver, partly outer and fully gilt inner surface. Cylindrical body with moulded edge on a flat base. Flattened snap-on lid with spinning-top shaped finial. The display sides of the vessels are both decorated by ornate, open-work lion mascarons with moveable rings in their mouths. The lids and bodies of the jars are both engraved with the numbers one and two respectively. Height 6,5cm. Ca. 94g and 88g. Condition A/B, one of the lids has a slight dent. Estimation : 13 000 / 15 000 €

Augsburg inspection mark for 1614-1616 (Seling Nr.220), maker's mark T.K. (Tobias Kicklinger, master 1608-1631, ibid. Nr.1216). 

Literature: - Huwer, Elisabeth: Das Deutsche Apothekenmuseum, Regensburg 2008, pg.202ff. 
- Kallinich, Günter: Schöne alte Apotheken, München 1975, fig.445-447. 
- Seling, Helmut: Die Kunst der Augsburger Goldschmiede, München 1980, Vol.II. For this type, see figs.229 and 232.

Both of the jars originally belonged to the inventory of an ornate house and travel apothecary, similar to those in the Museum of Applied Arts Frankfurt a.M. or the German Pharmacy Museum (see above mentioned literature).
Apothecary's jars similar to these were also part of the so called "Pommerschen Kunstschrank", commissioned by Duke Philipp II. of Pomerania-Stettin, which can now be seen in the Museum of Applied Arts in Berlin.

Van Ham. Samedi 17 novembre 2012. Schönhauser Str. 10-16, 50968 Cologne. Tel.  +49 221 92 58 62-4.