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'The Paston Treasure', c1665
Unknown Dutch artist
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'The Paston Treasure' was commissioned
by Sir Robert Paston in the mid-1670s and depicts
objects from the family's collection. It is likely
that the painting was made by a Dutch artist visiting
Oxnead Hall, the Paston family home near Aylsham
in Norfolk. We know this because the painting fits
into the tradition of Dutch and Flemish still-life
painting. It displays the Paston family's learning
and wealth at the same time as it reminds the viewer
of the fragility of life. The musical instruments
and the songbook held by the girl indicate the refined
pastime of a cultured family. The peaches, grapes
and oranges would have been luxury items and the
lobster suggests a sumptuous lifestyle. The animals
and the slave boy are exotic additions to the picture,
although whether they were a part of the Paston
household is questionable. The girl, on the other
hand, is most likely Robert Paston's daughter Mary,
who died of smallpox in 1676. The passing of time
and inevitability of death are symbolised by the
clock, the hourglass and the extinguished candle.
The objects in the collection were gathered by Robert
and his father, Sir William Paston. William most
likely made acquisitions on a long journey through
Europe and on to Cairo and Jerusalem. The collection
consisted of over 200 objects and included many
natural curiosities made into decorative art objects,
such as the mounted seashells and ostrich eggs.
The painting depicts a collection of objects from
all around the world: there is a packet of tobacco
from America; the boy and the parrot are from Africa;
and the porcelain dish is from Asia (China). This
is emphasised by the prominent position of the globe.
The collection was sold shortly after the painting
was finished because of the Paston's failing finances.
The objects were to spread around the world again.
The strombus shell with the enamelled mount is in
the Norwich Castle Museum Collection, the nautilus
shell behind the globe is in the Prinsenhof Museum
in Delft and the flask held by the boy is in The
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
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© Norfolk Museums & Archaeology
Service, Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
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