Bottle
1690-1720 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Mother-of-pearl, jet coral and amber were selected by craftsmen for their beauty, durability and rarity. These materials often occurred in a particular geographical region. Coral for example was prevalent in Sicily and amber along the Baltic coast. Many of the religious items were portable, as were the small portraits. They were often made locally and then taken elsewhere. Pilgrims from all over Europe bought the jet images made in Santiago de Compostela.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Amber, with silver hinges |
| Brief description | Bottle and stopper, amber, with foliage decoration and putti, Germany, ca. 1690-1720 |
| Physical description | This small object is carved from a single piece of amber. Acanthus leaf decoration in which two putti frolic. Rich foliage carving. Figures are carved upside down. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Bought from Eric Van Vredenburgh, Esq. London, in 1983, for £270 (Dept'l Grant). |
| Historical context | It may have been intended as a small snuff box or perfume bottle or even as a stick handle. |
| Summary | Mother-of-pearl, jet coral and amber were selected by craftsmen for their beauty, durability and rarity. These materials often occurred in a particular geographical region. Coral for example was prevalent in Sicily and amber along the Baltic coast. Many of the religious items were portable, as were the small portraits. They were often made locally and then taken elsewhere. Pilgrims from all over Europe bought the jet images made in Santiago de Compostela. |
| Bibliographic reference | Trusted, Marjorie. Catalogue of European Ambers in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1985, cat. no. 15 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.46: 1, 2-1983 |
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| Record created | April 6, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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