Pierre Mignard - "Four Seasons" enamel liqueur service

The goldsmith Elias Adam was a leading specialist in mounting miniature-like enameled ensembles. He worked several times with Johann Jacob Priester I, arguably the best enamel artist of his time in Southern Germany. The precious mounts augment the sumptuous nature of the enamels, which are based on engravings by Jean-Baptiste de Poilly (1669–1728) after paintings by Pierre Mignard (1612–1695). Mignard’s Four Seasons series, now destroyed, was created in 1686–1691 for the Galerie d’Apollon at the Château Saint-Cloud. The enameller managed to elegantly condense several mythological scenes from the monumental ceiling paintings, transforming them into a minute table ornament. Probably rarely used for drinking, the items were likely carefully handled to explore its delicate depictions.
Elias Adam (German, ca. 1669–1745, master 1703)