SOLD – Mid 18th century “La Caprice Perd” Engraved Wine Glass

Description

A superb  Georgian period engraved wine glass with a bell bowl with a solid section at the base. Sits on a facet cut inverted baluster knop stem and a conical foot with snapped pontil.

The “Oculum animumque delectans emlematum repositorium ” . loosely translasted as “A complete delight a repository of emblems”. This was written by Johan Christoph Weigel ( 1661- 1726) and  published in Nüremberg. It is a book featuring designs for both glass engravers and porcelain decorators alike. On page 50 of this tome one finds ” La caprice Perd” and it goes onto say in rather antiquated German that ” Pride ( of willfullness) leads to disaster or is ruinous. This is clearly the source of the original design. Weigel was translating into Latin. Franch and Italian simultaneously to conceiving the designs to be painted and engraved.

It is likely that the story behind the image may go a little deeper than just one of the original inferences stated in the source book for the engraving which – to paraphrase – is just “pride comes before a fall”. As well as being the Dutch/German root for “horse”. “pferd” is also one conjugation of a French (and Italian) verb “perdre”. and there are several contemporary instances of relevant usage. One of these is a quote by 18thcentury French dramatist Étienne de Jouy who stated “quelque vertu qu’ait une femme. le caprice ne perd pas son droit”. which roughly equates to “whatever the virtues a woman may possess. he who wishes to change his mind does not lose the right (to do so)”. This. however. is tempered by Xavier Forneret’s slightly later warning that “en amour. le caprice perd l’indulgence qu’on accorderait à la passion” – “in love. he who changes his mind loses the indulgences of those who accorded him passion”. So. both are guarded references to the potential foibles of the fairer sex. and it is not too fanciful to imagine gentlemen taking refreshment from glasses with such an engraving exchanging knowing glances and acknowledging the play on words as they did so. safely ensconced in their male-only retreat of the Gentlemans drinking club.

We have included images of both the title page and the relevant page 50 .

Continental. it measures 6 ½ inches tall with a 2 ¾ inch bowl and  2 7/8 inch foot.