Silver Writing Set. Cordoba (spain). 18th Century.

Silver writing set. Cordoba (Spain). Antonio José Santa Cruz, Juan de Luque y Leiva. 1773.
With hallmarks and engraving marks. Some containers have a defect and a bell has been added.
Silver writing set consisting of a tray, four containers, and a bell. The first element, oval in shape, has edges with gentle curves and counter-curves, decorated at the top with flat moldings, combined with volutes and wicker shapes; it rests on feet composed of two volutes framing a drop, the whole being topped with a symmetrical composition. The four containers, with lids, have gently curved profiles (on which engraved initials can be seen), which rise towards the top following parallel spirals, these lines continuing on the finished lids. Two of them, smaller, have holes in the lids. The bell for calling the service, which sits on the tray, has much simpler lines. The hallmarks affixed to various parts of the set provide information on their date, origin, and place of creation. They were made in Córdoba. Antonio José de Santa Cruz was a goldsmith known for his work in Córdoba, active mainly in the second half of the 18th century; his works are preserved in some churches and in prominent institutions such as the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid. Juan de Luque y Leiva was a renowned marker from Córdoba, active during the same period, whose works are preserved in the region (Parish of San Miguel in Córdoba, wine rack with cruets in Loja dating from 1778, works in the Costume Museum in Madrid, etc.). Stylistically, the lines of the whole (except for the bell) show that it belongs to the Rococo style, with the usual influence of some details of Neoclassicism, which influence the relative simplification of the decoration of the pieces, while retaining something of the movement of the other artistic style mentioned, also characteristic of the 18th century.
Weight: 1490 grams. • Dimensions: 26 x 30 x 15 cm.