The vintage object I selected on Trademe was a vintage
pocket watch holder that I believe that this item is from the Baroque period.
This is due to the fact that it shows some of the iconic looks that most
Baroque items have, such as the detailed decorative, such as exotic animals
like the eagle and bears, weaponry like the three helmets and two swords and
the use of flowing shapes and curves help make the ornament flow and give it a
feminine feel, all in an asymmetrical set up. In the book ‘Baroque Europe’ it
states “…its concentrated upon curving and sinuous plans, contrasting contours
of surfaces, flowing forms, dramatic lighting effects and the merging of
naturalistic sculpture and realistic painting with the structure.” From the
statement in the book and my understanding of Baroque I believe that this
pocket watch holder is from the Baroque era.
The seller on Trademe believes that the holder was made in the time of the Napoleonic War, a war fought between European nations between 1799 and 1815, were “the idea of war as a sport of the kings” this show how the class system in the Baroque era was aristocratic, how the royalty and upper class were extremely wealthy so could spend the money on extravagant and detailed items such as a pocket watch holder and had the power, wealth and authority to send their men of to war for a ‘sport’. The comparison between the Napoleonic war and pocket watch is also shown with in the imagery of the object with the use of the exotic animals and weaponry helping to show how the wealthy people in this era found that the presentation of protection and powerful items on their work was a symbol of how the lower class where their form of armour and the wealthy could enjoy safety at home with such luxury items.
The seller on Trademe believes that the holder was made in the time of the Napoleonic War, a war fought between European nations between 1799 and 1815, were “the idea of war as a sport of the kings” this show how the class system in the Baroque era was aristocratic, how the royalty and upper class were extremely wealthy so could spend the money on extravagant and detailed items such as a pocket watch holder and had the power, wealth and authority to send their men of to war for a ‘sport’. The comparison between the Napoleonic war and pocket watch is also shown with in the imagery of the object with the use of the exotic animals and weaponry helping to show how the wealthy people in this era found that the presentation of protection and powerful items on their work was a symbol of how the lower class where their form of armour and the wealthy could enjoy safety at home with such luxury items.
Busch, H. (1962). Baroque Europe. Macmillan. USA: New York.
Dugdale-Pointon, (2000), Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), Retrieved from http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_napoleonic.html
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