Comprising an Italian Renaissance bronze figurine of Cupid, with shield inscribed 'QUIS UT DEUS;' a brass pendant of Saint Francis of Assisi on a chain, possibly Flemish, 15th century or later; a Continental silver armorial beaker, engraved with armorial and scene of a couple above 'SILENTIUM', possibly18th century, undertemined maker's marks; a George VI sterling silver matchbox, unidentified maker's mark, Birmingham, 1938; a silver oyster-form vinaigrette, apparently unmarked; a brass-mounted mother of pearl perfume, apparently unmarked; and a tortoiseshell card case decorated with pastoral scene. (7).

Provenance

The bronze Cupid: Collection of Frederic Spitzer (according to a 1967 appraisal, as North Italian, probably Padua, circa 1500).
Property from the collection of Mr. Norman Potter, acquired prior to December 28, 1970.
Thence by descent.

Note

Norman Stanley Potter (1926–1970) was a collector with wide-ranging interests who developed an eye for classical arts and built a collection of Asian art, antiquities, and early European art. Born to Polish immigrants in New York City, Potter began his self-edification in the arts while exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art in his youth. As a prominent mathematician and engineer, he participated in the Manhattan Project and later was a designer of complex defense systems. Together with his wife, the abstract artist Berne Potter, he was active in the art and antique worlds of New York and became friends with important gallerists and collectors, including Julius Carlebach and Melvin Gutman.

*Please note that some countries and states prohibit the importation of items that contain materials from endangered species, including tortoiseshell. Prospective buyers should familiarize themselves with the relevant customs restrictions prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country. Freeman's does not provide CITES documentation for import or export.