Large, cast iron tobacco box in the form of a seated, bearded Sir John Falstaff wearing sixteenth-century garb with a large belt and ruffled collar in a scene from Shakespeare's "Henry IV" (act 2, scene 4) in which Falstaff pulls his dagger and proclaims "…this chair shall be my state, this dagger my scepter…!" Falstaff is seated in an armchair whose armrests end in goat's heads, below the chair on either side is a bearded male mask; Falstaff's crossed feet rest on a small stool, the chair and stool rest on a base decorated with scrolls; his right arm is raised and his hand holds the handle of his dagger (the blade is broken off); his left arm rests on the chair's armrest while his left hand supports a long sword, which rests against his knee. The upper torso is hinged and opens to reveal the interior of the tobacco box.

Tobacco Box “Sir John Falstaff”

After a model by Johann Carl Wilhelm Kratzenberg, foundry Siméon Pierre Devaranne, or Royal Prussian Iron Foundry, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

About 1834

See More of the Collection

Large covered vase of white stoneware covered with a deep, glossy blue glaze, white relief, and gilding (Victoria Ware), the square base with gilt edges and on each of the four sides a stylized florette in white relief highlighted in gold with leafy white and gold elements extending from each side, the round foot with a band of overlapping acanthus leaves in gold and a band of white and gold oak vines with acorns, the body of the vase is urn shaped and the lower body is decorated with large, stylized, feather-shaped leaves (stiff leaf or waterleaf motifs) in white relief with gold between stylized, gilded lotus plants, the central body is decorated with heavy floral swags in white relief and highlighted in gold, held together with long gold ribbons and anchored with gold lion masks, the wide, flat shoulder with a double gilded border and between this gold acanthus leaves, the tapered neck with stylized, feather-shaped leaves in white relief and highlighted in gold between heavily gilded anthemion motifs, the neck edge with a band of gold beading, with two scrolled, leafy handles in white and gold, the domed cover with similar feather-shaped leaf and lotus motifs, and with a blue tear-drop finial.
The footed lamp with a handle in the form of a horse's head from whose mouth hangs a chain that is attached to the cover; on a square pedestal; traces of bronze patina.
Bust front.
Chatelaine comprised of a hook from which extend three chains – the outer two are made of small faceted cut-steel beads and the center one of larger faceted cut-steel balls, from these hangs an oval two-sided, dark blue jasper medallion with white jasper bas relief of on one side Aurora – Aurora in a horse-drawn chariot – and on the other a seated woman with her head bowed under a tree before a column, in a simple cut-steel mount to which are attached two large tassels, below this a similar chain and a second two-sided medallion of dark blue jasper with white jasper bas relief of on one side a seated woman with a bow and on the other a classical female figure, in a like cut-steel mount, from this medallion are attached five chains, the two outer are comprised of small, faceted cut-steel beads and end in tassels, the two inner are made of a larger, faceted cut-steel ball and both end in hooks, from one hook hangs a polished basalt seal, or signet, of a classical couple with joined hands, the center chain is comprised of small faceted cut-steel beads and a hook from which hangs a large, ornate two-sided oval pendant of solid light blue jasper with white jasper bas relief of on one side a seated warrior and on the other an intaglio of a classical scene, on a cut-steel swivel mount.