587. STUREFORSSPEGELN by BURCHARDT PRECHT (1651-1738, court sculptor 1681), high quality Stockholm work in Carolinian Baroque, frame in pine, decoration of cast and gilt pencil ornaments, framed glass with decoration in verre églomisé and turtle imitation.

Crowned by a countorial crown on cartouche, face mascaron, paired lions with attributes in the form of the sword of justice and the bar of liberty, oval medallion, decoration of acanthus and leaf festoons, sides with baskets of flowers, frame with Ionic capitals, illusory cannellated pilasters, central glass faceted and mercury-foiled, 189 x 104.5cm

PROVENANCE: Formerly in the collections of the County of Bielke, Sturefors Castle, Parish of Vist, Östergötland County

LITERATURE: Swedish castles and lordships at the turn of the 20th century, Östergötland, Stockholm 1909, page 8, depicted in the Black Cabinet Room at Sturefors
Castles and gentlemen's seats in Sweden, Östergötland, part 2, Malmö 1971, page 258, pictured in the Black Cabinet Room at Sturefors

Ahead of this spring's Classic Auction, Stockholms Auktionsverk has been commissioned to sell one of Burchardt Precht's magnificent mirrors with an outstanding provenance from the Countess Bielke at Sturefors Castle in Östergötland.

Burchardt Precht was born in Bremen in 1651 and received his education from his brother Christian, who like his father was a sculptor. In 1674 Precht was summoned to Stockholm to assist Nicolaes Millich in furnishing Drottningholm for Queen Hedvig Eleonora the Great. After seven years in the country, Precht was appointed court sculptor and worked closely with Nicodemus Tessin d.y. Together in 1687 they travelled to France and Italy to study, and Tessin and Precht introduced the Golden Baroque to Sweden.

As a mirror maker, Precht drew his inspiration mainly from international role models in France. He simplified production by casting decorative fittings and moldings in lead instead of sculpting them in wood. Kungsholm's glassworks at this time could not produce glass of a high enough quality which is why Precht imported glass, from the former homeland of Germany, which was then polished and foiled in the Precht workshop.

By Queen Hedvig Eleonora d.ä.The Court Cassabook clearly states that woodcut picture frames were quite cheap to produce in comparison with mirrors, in 1699: “Two large mirrors with glass frames and “chronament” at the top, moldings in raised loafwork of Italian work: For paragraph 450 D. PP.“, in 1707: “Three Taffle Frames for the Widowed Queen's Portrait, Carved. o. forg. to 28 D. PP.“; “Large mirror with frame of crystal with all kinds of stories in glass geschnitlen on the essay and on the frame. 1,600 D. PP.“; “A mirror's ofvan. Called Italian. 1,600 D. PP.“

In 1747, the then owner of Sturefors, Christina Piper (1673-1752), had her estates converted into fideikommiss in order to secure their future. When Piper died in 1752, Sturefors was taken over by the fidei commissar, the 28-year-old daughter son, the court marshal Nils Adam Bielke (1724-1792), whose grandfather was the reputed Count Nils Bielke (1644-1716) of Salsta. In his article on Sturefors, in “Swedish castles and men's seats at the turn of the 20th century”, published in 1909, art historian Axel L. Romdahl notes that: “This historically and artistically captivating building forms the framework around the richest collection of furniture, ceramics, silverware, weapons, portraits and other works of art. In this case, however, the word “collection” does not denote the result of a deliberate act of collecting, a purchase of precious goods. Every object at Sturefors has been brought there by historical means, by purchase or gift at the time of its manufacture, by inheritance and bequest”.

In view of the fact that Sturefors has been a gathering place for the historical objects of the House of Bielkes, especially Nils Bielkes, who became the progenitor of the countship, when he was elevated to count under the name Bielke in 1687. Nils Bielke was prominent military and diplomat, in the years 1679-1682, he was Ambassador to France, 1687-1698 Governor-General of Pomerania and Field Marshal 1690-1697. Despite great efforts as supreme charge of Pomerania, his influence declined in the later years of Charles XI's reign and eventually he fell completely out of favour. After the accession of Charles XII as king, he was tried for various abuses of power; he was sentenced by the Court of Appeal to the loss of life, honour and property, but was pardoned for life by the king. Of his fixed estates, he was allowed to keep only Gäddeholm and Salsta. The whole trial was thought to be due to intrigue within the court and Bielke suspected that Carl Piper was behind, whose daughter later married Nils Bielke's son Thure Gabriel.

That mirrors of the type represented by the auction were reserved for the court and high nobility during the Carolinian era is clear from the Court Treasury Book of 1699, when a similar mirror “Called Italian” cost 1,600 daler silver coins. In literature, the Sturefors mirror is erroneously referred to as Venetian, which is rather an expression of Precht's ability to create high-quality mirrors of international quality even in Stockholm. It is also interesting to note the mirror crown decor with the princely rank crown at the top, surrounded by two lions with attributes in the form of the sword of justice and the rod of liberty. The latter symbol has its roots in the Roman Empire and reappeared during the Renaissance and was used extensively during the liberation struggle of the 18th century. In the context of the Sturefors mirror, one can only speculate on why these two symbols are pitted against each other, perhaps it is a matter of convicting and freeing, as in the case of Nils Bielke's conviction and pardon.