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Bowl with Judah and Lion Surrounded by Scenes from the Book of Esther Thumbnail

Bowl with Judah and Lion Surrounded by Scenes from the Book of Esther

Russian (Artist)
Copy after Nicholaus Johannes Piscator (Dutch, 1586-1652) (Artist)
ca. 1690 (Early Modern)
silver gilt, painted and filigree enamel
(Baroque Europe )

The source for the scenes on this bowl and on a similar one in the Moscow Kremlin Armory (inv. MP-1079) is the illustrated Bible of Nicholaus Johannes Piscator (1586-1652), a Dutch publisher and engraver. This Bible was translated into Russian in the 1670s and became a source for images on objects and church frescoes. The paintings, like the inscriptions, are freely adapted: there are more scenes on the bowl than are illustrated in the Piscator Bible, and sometimes a single scene has been painted in two parts to accommodate the lobes of the bowl. The image in the central medallion seems to allude to the young Russian Czar Peter I (r. 1682-1725), while the surrounding scenes from the Book of Esther may refer to his mother, the Czarina Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkina. Formerly attributed to a Solvychegodsk workshop, the bowl is more likely to have been made in Moscow.

Inscription

[Translation]
Jacob’s son, from whom Christ descended. Judah said [that] the lion will mightily conquer the enemies (cf. Rev. 5:5).
Out of a thousand [virgins], Esther alone finds favor with the king and receives from him a royal crown on her head (cf. Esther 2:17).
Mordecai served in the palace. He commands Esther not to reveal her kindred. The same he commanded about her people (cf. Esther 2:19-20).
For seven days in the house of King Artaxerxes (Ahasuerus) his officials and servants made merry, and people of all ages ate (cf. Esther 2:18).
Two chiefs of the guard of the king’s bed, grieved because Mordecai had been promoted, sought to kill King Artaxerxes (Ahasuerus) (cf. Esther 2:21).
Aman (Haman), most fierce enemy of the Jews, swaggers [and] takes a ring from the king’s finger (cf. Esther 3:1.10).
Messengers are sent by Aman (Haman) throughout Artaxerxes’ (Ahasuerus’) kingdom with a letter [commanding] to exterminate the race of the Jews in one day (cf. Esther 3:13).
Esther sends the eunuch Achrathaeus (Hathach) to Mordecai to learn the truth. And Mordecai told her what had happened to him (cf. Esther 4:5-7).
Esther approaches the king with a perturbed heart but not with sad news, [and] summons to a great banquet (cf. Esther 5:1-4).
Aman (Haman) is accused, the queen reveals his evil deed, and he is hung upon the cross prepared for Mordecai (cf. Esther 7:5-10).

[Transcription] С(ы)нъ Иаковлевъ, ωт негó же изыде Х(ристо)с / Iуда рече, крѣпко жъ лвà враги победитъ [Сын Яковлев, от него же изыде Христос / Иуда рече: Крепко же льва враги победит] (cf. Rev. 5:5) Едина ωт тысiащей Есвиръ угóдна ц(а)реви бываетъ, ωтнюдоу же ц(а)рскïи венéцъ на главѣ восприïмáетъ. Есвиръ Глав(а) в, стих(ъ) зi (cf. Esther 2:17) Мардохéй убо служáше во дворѣ ц(а)ревѣ. Есфирь заповѣдает рода своего не ѧвлѧти. Сице заповѣда о людехъ своихъ (cf. Esther 2:19-20) По сéдмь днéй в домоу у ц(а)рѧ Артаξéрξа веможи его и раби веселiахоусiа и всiакъ всiакъ возрастъ питáшесiа (cf. Esther 2:18) Двà начáлнiшïи стрáжи лóжа ц(а)рева оскóрблении соуть iако препочтенъ бысть Мардохéй искáху Артаξерξа ц(а)рѧ убити (cf. Esther 2:21) Амáнъ июдéωмъ прелютыи врáгъ себѣ превозношáетъ, перстень от ωт ц(а)рьского пéрста взимáетъ. Есфиръ Гла(ва) г, с(ти)х θ (cf. Esther 3:1.10) От Амана с пïсáнïемъ послы посылáютсѧ во все ц(а)рьство Артаξерксово да побиютъ р[o]дъ жидóвскïи в дéнь единъ (cf. Esther 3:13) Есфирь скопцà Ахраθéа спроситъ ïстины к Мородхею посылаетъ. Что имъ слоучишасѧ Мардохéи же сказà éй бывшее (cf. Esther 4:5-7) Сердцемъ смоущéнным но нескорбною вѣстию Есфïръ ко ц(а)рю прибѣгаетъ, на вечерю вéлию призывает. Есθ(иръ) Гла(ва) е, с(ти)х s (cf. Esther 5:1-4) Оглагóланъ Амáнъ бывáетъ, ц(а)рïца злодѣѧнïе расширѧетъ, Мардохею соωруженныи к(рес)тъ сáмъ претеръпѣвáетъ. Глав(а) з (cf. Esther 7:5-10)

Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Alexandre Polovtsoff (Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Polovtsov), Saint Petersburg and Paris, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Exhibitions

1996-1997 Russian Enamels. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.
1988-1989 A Millennium of Christianity: Russian Art from The Walters Art Gallery. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.
1965 Works of Faith.
1964 Festival of the Bible in the Arts.
1963 The Hebrew Bible in Christian, Jewish & Muslim Art. The Jewish Museum, New York.
1959-1960 Russian Art: Icons and Decorative Arts from the Origin to the Twentieth Century. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

Conservation

Date Description Narrative
10/15/1959 Treatment cleaned
12/5/1988 Treatment cleaned
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Geographies

Russia, Moscow (Place of Origin)

Measurements

Diam: 10 1/8 in. (25.72 cm)

Credit Line

Acquired by Henry Walters

Location in Museum

Not on view

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

44.46

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