99th Auction
2019/5/11
Lot 202
John Kenable, Frith Street London / attributed to Jean-Abraham Lissignol, Movement No. 5789, 54 mm, 101 g, circa 1800
A remarkable and large gold and enamel pocket watch of high quality, made for the Chinese Market, with centre seconds and exquisitely painted enamel plaque "The Shepherdess of the Alps", after a painting by Angelika Kauffmann (1741-1807) and an engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi (1728-1815)
Case: 18k gold, polychrome enamel. Dial: enamel. Movm.: full plate movement, lavishly florally engraved, going barrel, cylinder escapement, three-arm brass balance.
The back is shows an enamel medallion with oval polychrome cartouche against a translucent blue background with engine-turned pattern: a sylvan mountain landscape with a shepherdess who is listening to the tunes of a flute-playing shepherd. Front and back bezels are embellished with a geometric pattern of translucent green and gold paillon leaves on blue ground, just as the pendant.
The painting shows a motif from Charles Dibdin‘s (1745-1814) pastorale "The Shepherd's Artifice"; it is based on the story of Gualtherus and Griseldis, where the king of Sicily Gualtherus meets the poor shepherdess Griseldis - who he had married years ago and later forced into exile. Griseldis is a fictitious character and first appears in Boccaccio‘s Decamerone. She has to pass a number of tests set by her husband, who wants to make sure his wife is perfectly devoted to him. In European literature the story of Gualtherus and Griseldis is often repeated in various adaptations, for example by Hans Sachs, Friedrich Halm, Gerhart Hauptmann and Maria Edgeworth. Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi and Jules Massenet set it to music.
Note: This watch belongs to a small group decorated with enamel scenes taken from engravings by Bartolozzi, after original paintings by contemporary artists such as Angelica Kauffman and William Hamilton. At least six are known bearing the signature of John Kenable of Frith Street, Soho in London. Three of these are in oval cases, and a further three in normal round cases. They are all of large size and notably slim. It is certain that the movements were made in Switzerland, and can be compared to pieces from the Jaquet-Droz workshop. It is most likely that the enamels were also executed in Geneva or possibly by a Genevan artist working in London. The enamels have been attributed as possibly by Lissignol, but in his Will, Kenebel makes a generous bequest to his sister, whose married name was Lionhard (sic) and who was living in Rolle, Switzerland. Whether there is any connection with the famous family of painters and enamellers, the Liotards, is speculation, although it is interesting to note that Jean-Etienne Liotard moved close by to Nyon in 1786 where he concentrated on enamel painting.
John Kenebel (Knobel, Kenable, Kenabel), Frith Street, Soho, London (died July 1810) is not recorded in any of the standard lists of makers names which is unsurprising on account of the fact that watches bearing his signature are rare, and he was technically a jeweller as is stated in his Will: "This is the last Will and Testament of Mr. Jean Louis Knobel oftimes called John Kenebel of Frith Street in the parish of St. Anne, Soho………Jeweller….."
The bequests to his sister in Nyon and others in his will would point to his having been born in Switzerland. Most, if not all of his known work is clearly made for export to the Chinese Market
Literature:
- Christies HK 30 May 2011. Oval watch, John Kenebel, Frith Street, Soho. No.540. Dims. 91mm. x 56mm. Lot 1967 and Lot 2159 A round watch with the same signature, Movement No. not supplied.
- Christies South Kensington, 23 June 2004, Collectors Watches, Lot 157. Oval watch, John Kenebel, Frith Street, Soho, London, No. 1454. Dims. 96 mm x 59 mm. Scene after the painting by William Hamilton. Now in Patek Philippe Museum, Inv. No. S-692.
- Antiquorum Geneva, 31 March 2001, Lot 205. The Lord Sandberg Collection (watch no. 1455).
A remarkable and large gold and enamel pocket watch of high quality, made for the Chinese Market, with centre seconds and exquisitely painted enamel plaque "The Shepherdess of the Alps", after a painting by Angelika Kauffmann (1741-1807) and an engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi (1728-1815)
Case: 18k gold, polychrome enamel. Dial: enamel. Movm.: full plate movement, lavishly florally engraved, going barrel, cylinder escapement, three-arm brass balance.
The back is shows an enamel medallion with oval polychrome cartouche against a translucent blue background with engine-turned pattern: a sylvan mountain landscape with a shepherdess who is listening to the tunes of a flute-playing shepherd. Front and back bezels are embellished with a geometric pattern of translucent green and gold paillon leaves on blue ground, just as the pendant.
The painting shows a motif from Charles Dibdin‘s (1745-1814) pastorale "The Shepherd's Artifice"; it is based on the story of Gualtherus and Griseldis, where the king of Sicily Gualtherus meets the poor shepherdess Griseldis - who he had married years ago and later forced into exile. Griseldis is a fictitious character and first appears in Boccaccio‘s Decamerone. She has to pass a number of tests set by her husband, who wants to make sure his wife is perfectly devoted to him. In European literature the story of Gualtherus and Griseldis is often repeated in various adaptations, for example by Hans Sachs, Friedrich Halm, Gerhart Hauptmann and Maria Edgeworth. Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi and Jules Massenet set it to music.
Note: This watch belongs to a small group decorated with enamel scenes taken from engravings by Bartolozzi, after original paintings by contemporary artists such as Angelica Kauffman and William Hamilton. At least six are known bearing the signature of John Kenable of Frith Street, Soho in London. Three of these are in oval cases, and a further three in normal round cases. They are all of large size and notably slim. It is certain that the movements were made in Switzerland, and can be compared to pieces from the Jaquet-Droz workshop. It is most likely that the enamels were also executed in Geneva or possibly by a Genevan artist working in London. The enamels have been attributed as possibly by Lissignol, but in his Will, Kenebel makes a generous bequest to his sister, whose married name was Lionhard (sic) and who was living in Rolle, Switzerland. Whether there is any connection with the famous family of painters and enamellers, the Liotards, is speculation, although it is interesting to note that Jean-Etienne Liotard moved close by to Nyon in 1786 where he concentrated on enamel painting.
John Kenebel (Knobel, Kenable, Kenabel), Frith Street, Soho, London (died July 1810) is not recorded in any of the standard lists of makers names which is unsurprising on account of the fact that watches bearing his signature are rare, and he was technically a jeweller as is stated in his Will: "This is the last Will and Testament of Mr. Jean Louis Knobel oftimes called John Kenebel of Frith Street in the parish of St. Anne, Soho………Jeweller….."
The bequests to his sister in Nyon and others in his will would point to his having been born in Switzerland. Most, if not all of his known work is clearly made for export to the Chinese Market
Literature:
- Christies HK 30 May 2011. Oval watch, John Kenebel, Frith Street, Soho. No.540. Dims. 91mm. x 56mm. Lot 1967 and Lot 2159 A round watch with the same signature, Movement No. not supplied.
- Christies South Kensington, 23 June 2004, Collectors Watches, Lot 157. Oval watch, John Kenebel, Frith Street, Soho, London, No. 1454. Dims. 96 mm x 59 mm. Scene after the painting by William Hamilton. Now in Patek Philippe Museum, Inv. No. S-692.
- Antiquorum Geneva, 31 March 2001, Lot 205. The Lord Sandberg Collection (watch no. 1455).
Sold
estimated
27.000—40.000 €
Price realized
35.000 €