Cup and cover, the cup is a shell mounted in silver-gilt, embossed and chased with mythological marine creatures, from Nuremberg, possibly end of the sixteenth century.

Cup with cover. The cup is formed of a shell mounted in silver-gilt, embossed and chased with mythological marine creatures. The stem is a lion supporting an enamelled shield.

Bequeathed by John Jones

Historical significance: Two examples of this kind of cup are listed in the inventory of Queen Elizabeth I's jewels and plate drawn up in 1574. One of these is a cup of mother of pearl with a cover of silver gilt topped with a Triton wielding a trident; the other is a standing cup of shell garnished with gilt silver and with the story of Jonah on it also in silver. It is known that one of these two cups was a New Year's gift of Lord John Grey in 1559. This sits well with contemporary demands of New Year's gifts that they be made of expensive and rare materials, combined in technically challenging and aesthetically complex fashions. They are also found in Ferdinando de'Medici's Tribuna, where the 1589 inventory mentions various shells, including one decorated in very low relief and set on a gilt silver base.

The distribution area of both the Nautilus and the Turbo shells embraces the South-West Pacific, the vicinity/surroundings of the East Indian islands between South-East Asia and Australia, as well as the African East Coast. Up until the end of the 15th century, trade in these shells was controlled mainly by the Venetians who traded via land with the far east and sold the shells on in northern Europe, where they adorned French Kulturraum and princely banqueting tables mounted in silver in the shape of farmyard cocks. In Germany too, vessels made out of nautilus shells were kept in the Heiltumer, the church treasuries. However, after the discovery of the sea routes, by Vasco da Gama in 1498, the Portuguese took over a large part of the far eastern trade to India, which increased the import of these still very expensive shells in the 16th century. These shells now became valued both on their own and mounted and were highly valued artefacts in European Kunst- and Wunderkammern, and displayed on princely credenze. In 1602 the Dutch set up the EastIndian united company and took over the East Indian trade, setting up the trading port of Ambon in Indonesia; as a consequence the import of these shells increased again. In most cases Flemish goldsmiths mounted the shells, more or less elaborately, themselves, before selling them on in Europe. However, South German goldsmiths also became specialised in the execution of elaborate mountings, contributing to the establishment of these shells as one of the most sought after naturalia possible for princely Wunderkammern and credenze, although they were so popular that they were also made for wealthy burghers. They survive in impressive numbers in part because the shells were much more highly valued than the material profit to be made by melting down the mounts, which are generally low in metal content. The shells were prized for their rarity and exotic provenance, as well as belief in their mysterious purifying and aphrodisiac properties.

The decoration in most mounted shell pieces alludes to their marine origins; this was especially pleasing to the Mannerist taste, that revelled in the juxtaposition of materials to striking effect and particularly favoured the combination of sea-monsters and marine deities in silver with the natural products of the sea itself. This is also why you sometimes have these shells mounted into the shape of a ship.

Badge is likely to be of a later date than the cup and lid.

The Turbo shell that goes to make up the centre of this elaborate cup is a smaller cousin of the Nautilus shell. Imported along the same trade routes, it also was a prized component of European Kunstkammern. The exotic nature of the shell is combined with the monetary value of the silver and the skill of the carving, to make an object wondrous on all counts; these objects survive in impressive numbers precisely because this sum total was more highly valued than the material profit to be made by melting down the mounts. The decoration with its fantastical sea-monsters and mermen surrounding the shell points to its original marine provenance and exotic nature. They were meant to be admired and carefully handled, but, although they could decorate princely credenze, they would not have been used in any practical fashion.

863:1, 2-1882