Spoliation reports

Artist unknown, Italian probably Pesaro region, circa 1480-1500

Storage jar. Bearing an unidentified coat of arms supported by two putti on one side, and an owner's mark, probably that of a monastic pharmacy, on the other. The body is painted with floral decoration.

• Materials: Maiolica, (tin-glazed earthenware)
• Dimensions: height 378mm
• Acquisition: Bought by the British Museum from Mrs Margaret Slater
• Reference: 1987,0701.1

Provenance

Ex-collection: Alfred Pringsheim of Munich (1850-1941)Sold London, Sotheby's 7-8 June and 19-20 July 1939, lot 15 Acquired at Sotheby's by Mr Hess [?] Probably acquired from Mr Hess by Mr Richard Hope; thence by descent to his daughter Mrs Margaret Slater.

Additional Information

During 1938, permission was given by the German State for the Pringsheim maiolica collection to be exported from Germany to London for auction; 80% of the proceeds went to the German State in order to pay for Pringsheim and his wife to emigrate to Switzerland. Compensation of the proceeds of the sale that went to the German State was made to the Pringsheim family by the Wiedergutmachungsbehorde Oberbayern in 1955.
Literature: Otto von Falke,'Die Majolikasammlung Alfred Pringsheim', augmented reprint with articles by Tjark Hausman, Carmen Ravanelli-Guidotti and Timothy Wilson, three vols., Ferrara 1994, vol. 1, cat.42a and b, pl. XXVI; vol. 3, pp.79-111, especially pp.86-87 and 101, for full details of the Pringsheim sale Timothy Wilson,'Recent Acquisitions by the Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities in the British Museum', Burlington Magazine, 130, 1988, p.400.

Factory of du Paquier, Vienna, 1725-30

Plate with a lobed edge; decorated on the rim with stylised foliage and flowers in orange and gold on an underglaze-blue ground and with four reserves decorated in orange, purple and gold with shield-like motifs; central white ground painted in colours with parrot on leaf, stylised oriental flowers and vases; reverse with stylised oriental flowers in orange and underglaze-blue.

• Materials: hard-paste porcelain
• Dimensions: diameter 302 mm
• Acquisition: Donated to the British Museum by William King in 1939
• Reference: 1939,0302.1

Provenance

Ex-collection: Heinrich Rothberger, Vienna (sale, Berlin, Hans W. Lange, 'Sammlung B., Wien, Die Bestände der Firma Ziffer i.L., Berlin, Porzellan aus Sammlung R., Wien, Frankfurter und anderer Privatbesitz', 18-19 November 1938, lot 607 (estimate 150 Reichsmark).

Questions in the operative period

Details of acquisition by William King
Additional information:
See J. Folnesics and Dr E.W. Braun, Geschichte der KK Wiener Porzellan- Manufaktur, Vienna, 1907 pl. II, no. 4 (as in the Rothberger Collection, Vienna); A.Dawson, Documentary Continental Ceramics from the British Museum, the International Ceramics Fair and Seminar, London, 1985, cat.no 35 (reproduced); A.Dawson in Weltkunst, 55, no.13, p.1879, fig.4.
Sophie Lillie,'Was einmal war: Handbuch der enteigneten Kunstsammlungen Wiens\', Vienna, 2003, pp.991-997

Additional Information

The descendent of Heinrich Rothberger was informed by the British Museum of the presence of this item in the collection in 2007, and the case was referred for discussion to the Spoliation Advisory Panel. Their report, published in June 2008, recommended that the government should pay an ex gratia payment to the heir in compensation for the loss of the piece. This payment was made and the piece is available to the public for study by appointment in the Ceramic Study Centre at the British Museum.

France or Netherlands, circa 1545-1550

Horizontal table timepiece; spring-driven iron movement with fusee; four- wheel train with faceted arbors; verge escapement with balance; gilded-brass canister case; gilded-copper dial; base engraved with boy playing lute on cloud scrolls.

• Materials: Gilt-brass and steel
• Dimensions: diameter 73.0mm
• Acquisition: Acquired by the British Museum in 1958
• Reference: 1958,1006.2111 (Ilbert Ledger - Q344)

Provenance

Ex-collection: Mrs Ida Netter
Sold London, Christie's, 20th June 1939, lot 1; purchased by Malcolm Gardner
Acquired from Malcolm Gardner by Courtenay Adrian Ilbert (1888-1956 ) in 1939
Ilbert Collection acquired in 1958 through the donation of funds by Gilbert Edgar

Questions in the operative period

Further information on Ida Netter, and reasons for sale in 1939

Hans Koch, Munich, circa 1575-1585

Rectangular spring-driven table clock; with gilt-brass case engraved on the back with a table of the hours of daylight and darkness. Movement with brass plates punched with the maker's mark HK for Hans Koch and the town mark for Munich

• Materials: Gilt-brass and steel
• Dimensions: Length 147.0 mm
• Acquisition: Acquired by the British Museum in 1958
• Reference: 1958,1006.2152 (Ilbert Ledger Q340)

Provenance

Ex-collection: Mrs Ida Netter
Sold London, Christie's, 20th June 1939, lot 120 (ii); purchased by Malcolm Gardner
Acquired from Malcolm Gardner by Courtenay Adrian Ilbert (1888-1956 ) in 1939
Ilbert Collection acquired in 1958 through the donation of funds by Gilbert Edgar

Questions in the operative period

Further information on Ida Netter, and reasons for sale in 1939

Prague ? mid-16th century

Horizontal table timepiece; spring-driven iron movement with verge escapement and balance; fusee; four-wheel train; internal cocks for wheels pass through pillars instead of over them; separate chapters for twelve and twenty-four hour systems; inner originally moveable; with the arms of the Kunovice family. Steel movement with a skeletonised back plate. Unsigned

• Materials: Gilt-brass and steel
• Dimensions: diameter 107.0 mm
• Acquisition: Acquired by the British Museum in 1958
• Reference: 1958,1006.2112 (Ilbert Ledger - Q341)

Provenance

Ex-collection: Mrs Ida Netter
Sold London, Christie's, 20th June 1939, lot 120 (i); purchased by Malcolm Gardner
Acquired from Malcolm Gardner by Courtenay Adrian Ilbert (1888-1956 ) in 1939
Ilbert Collection acquired in 1958 through the donation of funds by Gilbert Edgar

Questions in the operative period

Further information on Ida Netter, and reasons for sale in 1939

South Germany (Nuremberg?) circa 1535-1545

Horizontal table timepiece; spring-driven iron movement with fusee; four- wheel train; verge escapement with balance; potences squared and pinned onto pillars; movement with some restorations; engraved gilded-brass canister case.

• Materials: Gilt-brass and steel
• Dimensions: diameter 57.0 mm
• Acquisition: Acquired by the British Museum in 1958
• Reference: 1958,1006.2150 (Ilbert Ledger - Q343)

Provenance

Ex-collection: Mrs Ida Netter
Sold London, Christie's, 20th June 1939, lot 103 (i); purchased by Malcolm Gardner
Acquired from Malcolm Gardner by Courtenay Adrian Ilbert (1888-1956 ) in 1939
Ilbert Collection acquired in 1958 through the donation of funds by Gilbert Edgar

Questions in the operative period

Further information on Ida Netter, and reasons for sale in 1939

South Germany (Nuremberg?) circa 1535-1545

Horizontal table timepiece with alarm attachment; spring-driven iron movement with fusee; four-wheel train; verge escapement with balance; potences squared and pinned onto pillars; alarm mechanism would be removed when not in use; engraved gilded-brass canister case.

• Materials: Gilt-brass and steel
• Dimensions: diameter 74.0 mm
• Acquisition: Acquired by the British Museum in 1958
• Reference: 1958,1006.2151 (Ilbert Ledger - Q342)

Provenance

Ex-collection: Ida Netter
Sold London, Christie's, 20th June 1939, lot 103 (ii); purchased by Malcolm Gardner
Acquired from Gardner by Courtenay Adrian Ilbert (1888-1956 ) in 1939
Ilbert Collection acquired in 1958 through the donation of funds by Gilbert Edgar

Questions in the operative period

Further information on Ida Netter, and reasons for sale in 1939

South Germany (probably Nuremberg), 3rd quarter 16th century

Drum-shaped spring-driven table clock with detachable alarm; clock and alarm cases with gilt-brass rims and rock-crystal case bands. Movement mostly steel. Unsigned

• Materials: Gilt-brass, rock-crystal and steel
• Dimensions: Diameter 92.5 mm
• Acquisition: Acquired by the British Museum in 1958
• Reference: 1958,1006.2110 (Ilbert Ledger - Q339)

Provenance

Ex-collection: Mrs Ida Netter
Sold London, Christie's, 20th June 1939, lot 123; purchased by Percy Webster
Acquired from Percy Webster by Courtenay Adrian Ilbert (1888-1956 ) in 1939
Ilbert Collection acquired in 1958 through the donation of funds by Gilbert Edgar

Questions in the operative period

Further information on Ida Netter, and reasons for sale in 1939