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Lot 273

A Vienna cabinet cup and saucer, circa 1808-13

7 December 2011, 10:30 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £1,187.50 inc. premium

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A Vienna cabinet cup and saucer, circa 1808-13

The cup painted by Georg Robram in sepia with a gilt-edged canted rectangular panel depicting four skulls below the inscription 'Wer dumer, wer Weiser, Wer Betler, wer Kaiser.', the saucer painted with a similar panel depicting the four corresponding figures, gilt borders to the rims, shield mark in underglaze-blue and to both, painter's mark 17 in puce to cup, impressed date codes 808 (saucer) and 813 (cup) and numerals (2)

Footnotes

John Robison (1739-1805) a professor of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh in 1797 wrote the book "Proofs Of A Conspiracy", in this Robison printed the ceremony of initiation of the "Regent degree" in Illuminism. In his own words "a skeleton is pointed out to him [the initiate], at the feet of which are laid a crown and a sword. He is asked 'whether that is the skeleton of a king, nobleman or a beggar.' As he cannot decide, the president of the meeting says to him, 'The character of being a man is the only one that is of importance'". The phrase 'the fool, the wise man, the beggar or king' would later be adapted and used by the secret 'Skull and Bones Society', founded in 1832 at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

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