Friday, 15 September 2017

Antique Conundrum


I've had 2nd thoughts about the bloke in the painting from, yesterday's post. Not French and definitely Prussian - a general too.

Looking more closely at the sash, it's not Legion of Honour, but yet another Order of the Black Eagle, as proven by the blue Maltese cross at the end of the sash. Not only that, but I'm sure the epaulettes are silver and not gold. Silver epaulettes were used almost exclusively by the Imperial German Army before WWI (aka Prussian Army), and long tassels indicate a general.


I went through the list of German/Prussian Generals going back to God knows when and found this chap, who I've placed either side of my subject. I think he looks to be the same chap. How about you?


It's the snake-eyes that do it for me, plus there's no-one else who looks remotely similar. He's Bogislav Friedrich Emanuel von Tauentzein.

Here are a couple of photos I took of objects at the hotel we stayed at (Miller's at the Anchor in Porlock - a wedding anniversary present from Hayley). The hotel was started by the bloke who wrote and edited Miller's Antiques Guide (as well as Miller's Gin), hence it being stuffed to the gills with antiques.


An early steam iron...


I haven't the vaguest idea what this object is - any guesses?


2 comments:

Steve Borthwick said...

Looks like some kind of catapult to me.. The spikes underneath suggest it gets stuck into the ground, maybe something like a launcher for clay pigeons?

idaczerwcowa said...

Weighing scales. The round holes are to keep the weights.