Ad for the Inn of the Three Helmets

Item Details

Very good

Lovely engraved piece advertising in three languages (German, French and Italian).  The image shows an oval cartouche of a floral and fruit garland surrounding the three blocks of text. The shop sign in the from of three helmets with plumes and grated visors, appears above the text, surrounded by an oval of vine leaves. The garland of fruits and flowers meets at a vine with a bunch of grapes at lower center. Above this, there is a floating round shelf bearing two glasses and a flask of wine, surrounded by fruit.

Four naked putti with butterfly wings frolic to either side of the shelf. On the left they hold flowers. On the right, one squeezes a bunch of grapes in one hand, and pours wine from a flask into his partner's cup with the other. This putto wears vine leaves in his hair, a reference to Bacchus.

Text translates to:

Caspar Woetffel, Innkeeper at three Helmets

lives in the street named Fauen Gass

in the middle of the city near the Cathedral of Regensburg

8 1/8 x 6 3/8"