Description
A Norwegian burr birch tankard, the hinged lid carved with a sleeping figure within a crowned serpent edge and a fruit and leaf outer border, to a later lion and ball finial with an 'S' scroll handle carved with two male mask terminals, the body with three oval panels, the central one with a male and female figure each holding a cornucopia and entwined by a caduceus, the outer border inscribed 'ONSILIV...INNOCTE', to leaf and flower carvings with a snail, lion, a squirrel and a lamb, with two further panels each with a laurel border and depicting Apollo and Mercury,raised on later lion and ball feet, the base with a flower head with the initials 'R S' and the date '1672', late 17th century and later, 8.5in (21.5cm) h, 7in (17.6cm) w, 8in (20.2cm) d. Worm holes.
For a Norwegian burr birch tankard with similar carving see Lot 1010, Syd Levethan: The Longridge Collection, Christie's, 10th-11th June 2010. This tankard from the workshop of Samuel Halvorsen Fanden was originally sold in these rooms Lot 263, 25th April 1991.