Rare 1908 Auckland Silver 'Great White Fleet' Presentation Casket
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A rare and historical New Zealand Adolph Kohn Auckland 1908 Silver 'Great White Fleet' presentation casket and document, presentation engraved 'To Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry, Commanding the American Fleet. From Auckland Harbour Board, Auckland N.Z. Aug. 10th. 1908'. Mounted in jade and gold with accompanying William Seuffert-made marquetry boarded cover illuminated document. The rectangular casket raised on fern feet, the front mounted with two pounamu hei tiki with sealing wax eyes, two kiwis in gold, and a rangatira (chief) Ngapuhi chief Tamati Waka Nene (1780s ' 4 August 1871) enclosed by the words in gold 'NAUMAI KI AKARANA' (Welcome to Auckland). The sides with lion mask and ring handles, the hinged cover mounted with a beveled pounamu panel topped by a gold bar, flanked by ferns and with presentation inscription to Charles S. Sperry. The back exquisitely engraved with a view of the port of Auckland, quilted lining. The lid twice with maker's mark A.Kohn, Auckland, and sterling silver. 20 x 15.5 x 14 cm. The casket housed in a velvet lined burr totara box, probably by William Seuffert with two A. Kohn labels. Together with an illuminated address housed in a William Seuffert inlaid wooden boarded cover. $??
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- Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
- Engraving - The method of decorating or creating inscriptions on silver and other metal objects by marking the surface with a sharp instrument such as a diamond point or rotating cutting wheel.
- Lion Mask - The lion mask has been used for centuries in various forms of art and design, including furniture, silver, and ceramics, and is usually y depicted as a stylized representation of the face of a lion, often with an open mouth and protruding tongue. and is often used as a handle, knob, or other decorative element.
In furniture design, lion masks were popular in the neoclassical and Empire styles of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were often used as decorative elements on the legs or arms of chairs, as well as on cabinet and drawer pulls. It was also used as a handle, knob, or other decorative element.
In silverware design, lion masks were often applied to tea and coffee pots, as well as on candlesticks, snuff boxes, and other small silver items. The lion mask was often used in combination with other neoclassical motifs, such as laurel wreaths or acanthus leaves, to create a sense of grandeur and classical elegance.
In ceramics, lion masks were often depicted in relief, and were sometimes used in combination with other decorative elements, such as garlands or swags. - Burr - Burr (or in the USA, burl) is the timber from the knotted roots or deformed branch of the tree, which when cut, displays the small circular knots in various gradations of colour. It is always cut into a decorative veneer, most commonly seen as burr walnut on 19th century furniture.
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