皇冠体育app

This provides a last chance to raise the money to keep these precious items in the United Kingdom.聽

皇冠体育app Minister鈥檚 ruling follows a recommendation by the , administered by . 皇冠体育app Committee recommended that the export decision be deferred on the grounds that the were of outstanding aesthetic importance and of outstanding significance for the study of the history of European decorative arts and seventeenth century silversmithing, in particular the work of Christian van Vianen - one of the leading masters of the period who worked for both Charles I and Charles II.

Both Christian van Vianen (c. 1600/1605-1667) and his father Adam van Vianen (1568-1627) possessed extraordinary technical ability. 皇冠体育app ewer and basin are each raised from a single sheet of silver, a tremendous feat when such pieces were commonly constructed in sections combining parts that had been separately cast and raised. Few ewers and basins survive as a pair, and this is the only known surviving example by Christian van Vianen. 皇冠体育app lack of works by the Van Vianens represents a significant gap in the UK鈥檚 national public collections.

皇冠体育app ewer and basin are superb examples of a rare moment in the history of art when a branch of decorative arts developed a striking and innovative style. 皇冠体育app auricular style - so called by modern art historians because it was thought to resemble the fleshy curves of a human ear - was pioneered by the Van Vianens. 皇冠体育appy came from an established family of Utrecht goldsmiths and were famed for their innovative pieces which explored the possibilities of rendering the liquid properties of metal in sculptural form.

皇冠体育app two identifiable coats of arms preserved on the ewer and basin provide rare evidence for the status and occupation of the original owners, as well as an indication of the esteem in which works by the Van Vianen goldsmiths were held by foreign collectors. 皇冠体育app later arms are those of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843), a collector genuinely interested in art and science, who served as President of the Society of Arts in 1816 and President of the Royal Society from 1830 to 1838.

Philippa Glanville, Reviewing Committee member, said: 鈥溁使谔逵齛pp ewer and basin are stunning objects that were made with extraordinary technical skill. 皇冠体育app influence of the Van Vianens鈥� works on their contemporaries and future generations of silversmiths are important elements in the study of European decorative arts.鈥�

皇冠体育app decision on the export licence application for the ewer and basin will be deferred for a period ending on 5 November 2012 inclusive. This period may be extended until 5 March 2013 inclusive if a serious intention to raise funds is expressed with a view to making an offer to purchase the ewer and basin at the recommended price of 拢7,550,000 (plus VAT).

For media information contact:

Sam Gough, Media Relations Officer, Arts Council England
Tel: 020 7973 5189 or 07872 416679
Email: [email protected]

Notes to Editors

1. An image is available at the .
2. Anyone interested in making an offer to purchase the ewer and basin should contact:

皇冠体育app Secretary
皇冠体育app Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest
Arts Council England
Great Peter Street
London
SW1P 3NQ
Tel: 020 7973 5259

1. Anyone interested in making a matching offer and who requires further information about the ewer and basin from the Champion should contact 皇冠体育app Secretary to the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest at the above address.
2. For enquiries on the operation of and casework arising from the work of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) please contact the Enquiries team on [email protected] or 0845 300 6200.
3. 皇冠体育app details of the ewer and basin are:

A silver ewer and basin, the ewer 25.4 cm high; the basin 53.3 x 43 cm; their combined weight, 85 oz. Both ewer and basin marked with the maker鈥檚 mark of Christian van Vianen of Utrecht (c. 1600 / 1605 - 1667), and both pieces bearing the Utrecht assay office date mark for 1632.

Provenance:
Johan van der Haer (1573-1646) and Maria van Kinschot (1589-1648) and thence by descent through Johan van der Haer the younger and his descendants. 皇冠体育app tax mark shows the ewer and basin remained in the Dutch provinces until 1795 at the earliest; Prince Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773 - 1843): sold at Christie鈥檚, 22 June 1843, lot 78; Sir George Murray: sold at Christie鈥檚, 24 July, 1891, lot 55;皇冠体育app Marquess of Sligo; 皇冠体育app Countess of Rosebery: sold at Sotheby鈥檚, London, 2 June, 1977, lot 186 - listed as among 鈥榁arious Properties鈥�; British Railways Pension Fund; His Excellency Mohammed Mahdi Al Tajir.
6. 皇冠体育app Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by Arts Council England, which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria. Where the Committee finds that an object meets one or more of the criteria, it will normally recommend that the decision on the export licence application should be deferred for a specified period. An offer may then be made from within the United Kingdom at or above the fair matching price.
7. (ACE) champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people鈥檚 lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries - from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2011 and 2015, ACE will invest 拢1.4 billion of public money from government and an estimated 拢1 billion from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.

Press Enquiries: 020 7211 2210
Out of hours telephone pager no: 07699 751153
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6000