Wenzel Jamnitzer was one of the most highly acclaimed German goldsmiths of the Renaissance., revered as a genius akin to his fellow Nuremberg citizen, the painter Albrecht Dürer. Jamnitzer is renowned for his complex decorative style and life casting. In contrast this domestic tankard is simpler in decorationa typical example of mid-16th century Continental silver. The medallions on its cover and base are attributed to the goldsmith and engraver Nickel Milic and the diecutter Lucas Richter, respectively.

This tankard is a perfectly honest example of sixteenth-century domestic silver that was not marked when first made, probably in Hungary. Such silver was both functional and ornamental. Objects for dining and drinking took elegant forms and were decorated in the latest styles. Beautifully crafted items intended only for display often adopted functional forms such as cups and dishes.

When the cult of Wenzel Jamnitzer started in the nineteenth-century, his mark appears to have been remade for use on much simpler pieces in an effort to increase their appeal to collectors at the time. The makers' mark that can be seen on this tankard also appears on a number of items that while being possibily made during Jamnitzer's lifetime, were not created in his workshop.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.