Silversmiths and Goldsmiths Work

Hungary.

Hungarian silver has certain individual features, and shows various external influences at different periods. A conspicuous feature of ecclesiastical work, especially on chalices, is the richly coloured enamel of the second half of the 16th cen tury and the first half of the next century, introduced probably by Venetian goldsmiths. A prosperous school of goldsmiths was established at the Transylvanian town of Nagyszeben. An important phase of Hungarian goldsmiths' work are the garnitures de corsages for the national costumes from the i6th century.

Highly important early mediaeval treasure has been found buried in Hungary of which the most important are the 23 gold objects from Nagy-Szent-Miklos, all in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Some authorities ascribe them to native craftsmen and others to Caucasian work of the 9th century.

Austria.

Several towns in Austria had their goldsmiths. Vienna claims Wenzel Jamnitzer (later of Nuremberg) as one of its most celebrated goldsmiths. An earlier worker was Wolfgang Zulinger, of Wiener Neustadt, the supposed maker of the "Matthias Corvinus" cup of the 15th century, in the Rathaus there. This great cup is covered with the familiar lobes or bosses of German cups. Erhard Efferdinger of Vienna is identified by his imposing Gothic monstrance, 1524, in the church at Schattau in Moravia. Later came the well known Marx Kornblum (d. 1591).

In the 18th century the goldsmiths flourished in Vienna and were markedly under French influence. Anton Matthias Domanek (1713-79) was prominent and was the maker of the gold toilet service for Maria Theresa, at Vienna. Another was Ignaz Joseph Wiirth, a member of a flourishing family. An exponent of the Louis XVI. and "First Empire" styles was Ignaz Krautauer.

Poland.

Ecclesiastical vessels are the oldest relics of the goldsmiths' art in Poland. The many-sided artist, Wit Stoss (Stwosz), of Cracow, provided designs for goldsmiths at the end of the r5th century, among whom was his brother, Maciej (Matthew). Several Italian craftsmen emigrated to Poland during the early Renaissance, including Gian Jacopo Caraglio, designer, engraver, goldsmith, enameller and gem-cutter to the Polish court, 1539-60. German goldsmiths were also employed at this time. Later in the century several French goldsmiths were attracted thither. Characteristic of Poland from mediaeval times are the silver belts to be seen in early Polish portraits and the elaborate silver harness for horses.

Other European Work.

Bohemian goldsmiths were much employed in the r5th and 16th centuries in the execution of eccle siastical vessels. Rudolph II. (1552-1612) attracted talented goldsmiths to his court at Prague, among them the Dutchman, Paul van Vianen.

Prague was a centre for the fashioning of domestic vessels of great beauty from rock crystal, jasper, lapis-lazuli and other semi-precious stones.

Swiss silver in form and decoration not unexpectedly was under the domination mainly of Germany. Zurich was an important centre of the goldsmiths' art. It was here that Rudolph Wyssen bach issued in 1549 his very rare pattern-book of arabesques for silversmiths. Many other Swiss towns had flourishing goldsmiths.

Silver is known to have been wrought for several centuries at Reval and Riga. Hans Ryssenberch, the elder, of Reval, was the maker of an important monstrance in now in the Hermi tage museum at Leningrad. Here also was probably mounted (1551) the rare horn-shaped cup of Islamic glass, perhaps of the 14th century, also in the Hermitage. In Finland there were gold smiths from mediaeval times.

In the monastery at Putna in Bukovina, founded shortly after 1465, are important treasures of the 15th and 16th centuries, which reveal a glimpse of art and culture in the Balkans. The Petrossa treasure of gold (found near Petrossa in Wallachia) probably made in the Balkans in the 4th or 5th century A.D., con sisted originally of 22 vessels, including an elegant ewer.

The history of silver in America begins actually with Robert Sanderson (1608-93), a London silversmith settled in Boston. John Hull (1624-83) became his partner. An example of their work is the plain cup in Newman Congregational church, East Providence, R.I., bought with the bequest in 1674 of Capt. Thomas Willett, first mayor of New York (Plate III., fig. 9). More than 15c) names of silversmiths have been recorded at Boston before 1800. Colonial silver is dependent for its undoubted charm on the simplicity of its lines and graceful forms, copied for the most part in New England from contemporary English silver before 1775. Paul Revere of Boston achieved prominence for his work not because of superior technical merit but as the hero of Longfellow's poem. From the end of the 17th century the wealthy merchants of Boston acquired silver, especially tankards and por ringers. The last-named vessel, not to be confused with the Eng lish vessel of this name, became common in silver and pewter in every well-ordered household. Besides Boston, there were other places in New England where silver was made, chief among them being Newport, R.I. Silversmiths settled in New York soon after the settlement by the Dutch, and much of their work is identifiable by the decoration. Important work was made at Philadelphia late in the 17th and early in the 18th centuries.