Johan Coenraad Altorf (1876-1955), 1911, Netherlands, a silver commemorative plaque mounted on a stone base as a paperweight, Paperweight with silver plaque family Ribbius Peletier by P.A. Terwen (1) In 1911, sculptor J.C. Altorf (1876-1955) was commissioned by Mr and Mrs Ribbius Peletier-Wybelingh from Utrecht to design a paperweight to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. Gerlachus Ribbius Peletier (1856-1930) belonged to the wealthy industrial class of Utrecht, due to his famous cigar factory NV Koninklijke Tabak- en Sigarenfabriek Peletier. He and his family lived in a spacious home on Maliebaan 15 in Utrecht and had a great appreciation for the modern art of that time. This was exemplified by the eight Van Goghs in their collection. (2) The plastic arts were also of great interest to the couple and their collection held works by all leading sculptors of that time. Naturally, this also included Altorf. The collectors were in contact with famous art critic H. P. Bremmer (1871-1956) who without a doubt was the person who introduced Altorf to the couple. The paperweight became the first artwork they commissioned directly from the sculptor. In 1926 Altorf created another piece (in the form of a bronze owl sculpture) to commemorate their 40th wedding anniversary. Altorf chose for the paperweight a flat design, most likely after consultation with the commissioner, which meant there was a lot of space for symbolism and text. The symbolism is dominated by a tree of life with the names of the couple: G.RIBBIUS PELETIER A.L.WYBELINGH, curled around the trunk, as though symbolising the couple’s wedding rings. There are two snails towards the lower edge of the image. These creatures carry multiple symbolic meanings. For instance, they leave a trail, just like the parents of a family. This is why the snails are depicted towards the lower edge of the image as the basis for the entire symbolism of offspring applied to the artwork. There is a symmetrical ‘fertile’ meadow visible behind them, with two large flowers to symbolise the parents. (3) The five flowers hidden within the rich foliage of the tree symbolise the five children of the family (four girls, with one bigger flower symbolising the boy, the eldest child). The rays of the rising sun in the background fill the remainder of the space, as a symbol of a happy life. The borders on the left and right are filled with strong climbing plants, while the horizontal border bears the years of this fruitful marriage: 1886 27 MEI 1911. The object has a base made of Comblanchien (a type of French limestone) with ribbed sides. The corner details consist of narrow quarter cones, which taper towards the top (two of which are damaged). The plaque is secured in each corner with a silver nut and bolt, the bolts having rounded tops. The silver is not visibly marked by its manufacturer. There was no reason to do so, since it concerned a private commission. Altorf did sign the work on the stone base, with his personal monogram JA. Presumably, these plaques were difficult to cast and finish, due to the exceptionally clean and refined design. Therefore, they had to be made by using the electrotyping process (galvanoplasty), which allowed for five exact copies of identical quality. (4) This is a very economical way of working, when producing an edition. The work might have been executed at the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Fabriek van Gouden en Zilveren Werken J.M. van Kempen & Zonen, in Voorschoten, who are known to have utilised this technique and this firm had also worked on projects for the family before. All five children received a paperweight of their own with their name engraved on the lower edge. (5) This particular paperweight was made for the eldest daughter Davina (her mother’s name was also Davina). It was subsequently passed on to her daughter Mrs Davina van Wely (1922-2004). (1) Terwen is an art historian whose field of research concerns the sculptor Altorf (2) L. Van Tilborgh and M. Vellekoop, Van Gogh in Utrecht, the collection of Gerlach Ribbius Peletier (1856-1930), in: Van Gogh Museumjournaal 1997-1998, p. 27-41. (3) It is possible that Ribbius Peletier, as a Remonstrant (member of the Remonstrant Society, a liberal Christian denomination), suggested the use of the grass in the background as a reference to the Bible text for 1 Peter 1:24 “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass”. (4) A model of the plaque used for production still exists and can be found in a private collection. (5) Supplementary information kindly provided by Prof. Mr Dr A. W. Reinink, The silver plaque: 11,5x8,5 cm, the stone base: 12x9,5cm, total height 2,2 cm,