the base with three large seated putti with a cross, a column and a cornucopia, three blank coats of arms with putti above on the base of the shaft, the shaft centred by a nude figure surrounded by vines and holding aloft the top section which is in the form of a lidded cup, the whole carved with further putti, flowers and foliage, on a carved wood base, within glass dome

Overall the model is in very good condition. There is some minor worming throughout together with minor chips and surface dirt consistent with age. There are some small areas of loss to the rockwork base. The cornucopia on the lap of one of the lower angels may be later and there are some small chips to his toes. There is some small loss and repair to the drapery of the angel holding the column. The cartouche below the papal tiara is loose and the putto holding the cross is a little loose. His cross may be later. There appears to be a missing section to the rockwork base below the putto with the cross. There are a number of small translucent balls in the crevices which appear to be later. It is possible that these may be formed from a residue left from a worm treatment. There are remnants of glue between the lip of the top section and the vines below. One of the figures seated on the lid may have been replaced. The whole has be carved from a number of sections which are pinned together. Whilst the model is stable, there is some movement between the sections.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

From 1700 to 1708 Jeroným Kohl and František Preiss were collaborating together with the cabinet-maker Marek Nonnenmacher on the elaborate high altar for the church of St Nicholas, Louny. The composition of that altarpiece is dense and highly animated. Twisting putti emerge from a scrolling framework and twirling foliage, with arms out-flung to engage the worshipper. Such complexity needed to be worked out on a small scale before being accomplished in the impressive dimensions of a Baroque altarpiece. Presentation models were produced for the patron and they survive in the collection of the National Gallery, Prague at the Convent of St George.

The present model can be compared to the Louny altarpiece and is filled with the same exuberant spirit and similarly covered with a myriad lively details. Precarious putti step off the rocks and branches which make up the framework, balancing instruments of the Passion, a cornucopia and in one instance a harp.

The same vitality and eccentricity can also be found in Preiss's high altar for the church of the Nativity of the Virgin, Doksany. Recently restored, some of the figures were on exhibition at the Convent of St George, Prague in 2005, together with the customary presentation model. Preiss's Christ seems to leap through a cloud of rippling drapery, whilst his St Vitus is accompanied by his emblem, a diminutive cock with preposterously curling plumes.

Jeroným Kohl spent six years as an apprentice to Arnošt Heidelberger, and took from him a mannerist treatment, particularly in his drapery which he carved into sharp, deep folds. Kohl was an established figure in the Prague art world and became court sculptor under Leopold I. František Preiss was a generation younger than Kohl, and it is sometimes claimed that he apprenticed in the older sculptor's workshop. He was certainly collaborating with Kohl from the 1680s although by the mid 1690s he had set up a workshop of his own. Preiss's independent commissions, such as the altarpiece at Doksany show a confidence and expressiveness which prefigure the work of Matyáš Bernard Braun (1684-1738) the most celebrated sculptor of the Bohemian High Baroque.

It is not clear what kind of large scale monument this fruitwood presentation model might have been intended to represent. The inclusion of the instruments of the Passion together with the dominant motif of the vine would seem to suggest a Eucharistic significance. That the whole was to have been seen from below is evident from the leaning poses and lowered heads of the figures. The lidded cup surmounting the structure might suggest a font, however the proportions would imply a height which would be impractical. The shell motif at the base might indicate a function as a fountain, however given the Eucharistic allusions this seems unlikely.

The preservation of other presentation models indicates that they were valued as works of art in their own right. An alternative explanation of the function of the present model might be as a table centrepiece for an ecclesiastical patron, above the three blank coats of arms are putti with a papal tiara, a cardinal's hat and a bishop's mitre. In either case this exquisite model would have been perfectly suited to the context of an exclusive Kunstkammer. 

RELATED LITERATURE
"Kohl, Hieronymus [Jeroným]" Grove Art Online. Oxford University Press, //www.groveart.com/; I. Korán, "Preiss, František" Grove Art Online. Oxford Univer💯sity Press, //ww🐲w.groveart.com/