Titled: Benvenuto Cellini, The Rospigliosi Cup (Altman Collection) Italian XVI Century,
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 31
This unused postcard does not have a divided back nor an outline for a stamp on the reverse. It is credited as “Collotype by Max Jaffé, Vienna, Germany.” Max Jaffé (1845-1939) was a photographer working and living in Vienna, Austria. Germany took over Austria in March of 1938, hence the place identification as Germany rather than Austria. Since Jaffé died in December of 1939 the date for this photo card can be narrowed to between March 1938 and December 1939.
Another interesting thing concerns the Cup itself. It is not what the title on the card says it is. It was not made by Cellini in the 1500s. The cup is an original work, but in the style of Cellini; therefore, considered a forgery, made by Reinhold Vasters (1827-1909). Vasters was a German goldsmith, who in order to support his family, made reproductions in historical styles. This might never have been uncovered if Vasters' original sketches had not been found. After the drawings were found, the cup was taken apart and discovered to have been made in ways that were only available in Vasters' own time. Today the Cup is dated “between 1840 and 1850 or somewhat earlier.” The Cup remains at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and is on view at: The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 556.
For additional information, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rospigliosi_family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rospigliosi_Cup
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhold_Vasters
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benvenuto_Cellini
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