{"product_id":"late-17th-century-antique-pewter-lavabo-set-washing-set-attributed-to-nuremberg-c-1678","title":"Late 17th-Century Antique Pewter Lavabo Set \/ Washing Set, Attributed to Nuremberg, Germany, c.1678","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eA rare and complete German pewter lavabo set — comprising a lidded ewer and matching hand-washing basin — attributable to Nuremberg, circa 1678.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe ewer stands 11 inches in height, the body of cylindrical form tapering to a triple-reeded foot ring, with a domed lid, faceted finial, and a bifurcated thumbpiece characteristic of South German pewter production of the later seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The scroll handle retains its original lower terminal. A beak spout confirms the hand-washing rather than drinking function of the vessel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe basin measures 15 inches in diameter, the broad flat rim enclosed within beaded borders, the well centred by a raised boss of approximately 5 inches diameter, designed to locate and display the ewer — the defining feature of the lavabo basin form, distinguishing it from the simple charger or dish. The reverse of the basin retains struck marks to the bouge: an imperial eagle town mark consistent with Nuremberg attribution, a quality or date punch, and a maker's mark in the form of crossed tools within a shield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eEngraved around the rim in a clear contemporary hand, an inscription records the piece as a dowry gift: \u003cem\u003eLORENTZ \/ \u003c\/em\u003etouchmarks\u003cem\u003e \/ RECKWARES TOCHTER ANNA\u003c\/em\u003e — \"1678\" Lorentz to Anna, daughter of the Reckware family - \"1678\"  The practice of presenting lavabo sets as betrothal or dowry gifts was well established among the German burgher class; such inscriptions transform an already significant object into a document of social history, preserving the names of its first owners across three centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eNuremberg was the pre-eminent centre of German pewter production throughout this period, its wares distributed widely across the German-speaking world and beyond. The quality of casting and the crispness of the beaded borders here are consistent with the output of the city's regulated guild workshops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eAn exceptional survival: a matched set, intact, marked, inscribed and dated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nuremberg, Germany. 17th-Century, circa 1678.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial: \u003c\/strong\u003ePewter\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition: \u003c\/strong\u003econsistent with age and use; surface oxidation throughout; no splits or repairs noted to the jug. The outer rim of the basin has a slight split - please refer to the images.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ewer height 11 inches (28 cm); basin diameter 15 inches (38 cm); boss diameter approximately 5 inches (13 cm).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Holt Antiques at Walsingham Mill ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54087976157526,"sku":"HAF7369","price":695.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0782\/7462\/5878\/files\/Photoroom-20260603-100906.jpg?v=1780523679","url":"https:\/\/holtantiquefurniture.com\/products\/late-17th-century-antique-pewter-lavabo-set-washing-set-attributed-to-nuremberg-c-1678","provider":"Holt Antiques at Walsingham Mill ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}