Cup: Moses Striking the Rock

This cup (or tazza) is signed with the initials IC, probably a member of the Court family of Limoges enamelers, also known as Court dit Vigier and Vigier dit Court. The underside of this cup is decorated with arabesques in gold, strapwork in grisaille, and human masks with peach washes—all painted over dark enamel. The interior scenes are from the Book of Exodus after a woodcut by Bernard Salomon, in Quadrins historiques de la Bible. Here, Moses strikes the rock at Mount Horeb to produce water for the starving and thirsty Israelites.

Source: Vignon, Charlotte. The Frick Collection Decorative Arts Handbook. New York: The Frick Collection/Scala, 2015.

Possibly Debruge-Duménil sale, January 23 et seq., 1850, Hôtel des Ventes, Paris, Lot 738. Frédéric Spitzer, Paris. His sale, April 17–June 16, 1893, 33 rue de Villejust, Paris, Lot 564. J. Pierpont Morgan, London and New York. Duveen. Frick, 1916.

Source: Enamels, Rugs and Silver in The Frick Collection. Volume VIII. New York: The Frick Collection, 1977.