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Cup thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Not currently on display at the V&A
On short term loan out for exhibition

Cup

1598-1602 (hallmarked)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Nürnberg maker Jörg Ruel, who made this cup and cover in the form of a partridge, was known for setting precious materials and natural curiosities in mounts of gilded silver. This cup is notable for the naturalistic effect of the carving. A similar cup by the 16th-century Nürnberg goldsmith Friedrich Hillebrandt can be found in Dresden.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Schatzkammer is one of the few collections of its kind formed in the late 20th century. The Schatzkammer, or treasury, was a new concept in the 16th century. It referred to a special chamber in which the most precious artefacts of a princely collection were housed. Gold and jewelled objects were mounted alongside exotic natural curiosities, including rock crystal, nautilus shells and ostrich eggs. Together they demonstrated not only the wonders of nature and the technical achievements of the artist, but also the intellect and culture of the patron.

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.

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Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Cover
  • Cup
Materials and techniques
Silver-gilt, gold, mother-of-pearl, gems (garnet eyes, collar, some emeralds possibly reset), green and red pastes (body)
Brief description
Mother of pearl and silver-gilt partridge cup with gold and gems; Jorg Ruel, Nuremberg, 1598-1602.
Physical description
Silver-gilt, gold, gems and mother-of-pearl cup in the form of a partridge with feathers of overlapping mother of pearl; removable head with garnet set eyes, standing on an octagonal parcel-gilt plinth with scrolls and lizards and frogs, and a later coat of arms (unidentified) and date 1707
Dimensions
  • Height: 27cm
  • Width: 14cm
  • Depth: 10.5cm
  • Weight: 1000g
Marks and inscriptions
  • N as Nuremberg town mark (Nürnberger Goldschmiedekunst. 1541-1868. 2007, BZ11, used 1593/4-1602)
  • IR for Georg Rühl see: Nürnberger Goldschmiedekunst. 1541-1868.2007, MZ0766a.
Gallery label
(Gallery 70, case 6) 4. Partridge cup 1598–1602 The Nürnberg maker Georg Rühl was known for setting precious materials and natural curiosities in mounts of gilded silver. Four partridge cups of this type were mounted in Nürnberg at the same time, with princely and royal associations. This cup became the so-called ‘supporter’ of Arthur’s coat of arms when he was knighted in 1999. Nürnberg, Germany; Georg Rühl (1598–1625) Mother-of-pearl, gilded silver, silver, garnets and emeralds Formerly in the collection of Baron Leopold de Rothschild (1845–1917) Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.60:1, 2-2008(16/11/2016)
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance:
Baron Lionel de Rothschild (1808-1879)
Baron Leopold de Rothschild (1845-1917)
Purchased from S. J. Phillips, November, 1988.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The Nürnberg maker Jörg Ruel, who made this cup and cover in the form of a partridge, was known for setting precious materials and natural curiosities in mounts of gilded silver. This cup is notable for the naturalistic effect of the carving. A similar cup by the 16th-century Nürnberg goldsmith Friedrich Hillebrandt can be found in Dresden.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Schatzkammer is one of the few collections of its kind formed in the late 20th century. The Schatzkammer, or treasury, was a new concept in the 16th century. It referred to a special chamber in which the most precious artefacts of a princely collection were housed. Gold and jewelled objects were mounted alongside exotic natural curiosities, including rock crystal, nautilus shells and ostrich eggs. Together they demonstrated not only the wonders of nature and the technical achievements of the artist, but also the intellect and culture of the patron.

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.
Bibliographic references
  • Chapman, Martin. The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver. Recent Acquisitions 2. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. J.
  • Jones, E. Alfred. Catalogue of the Collection of Old Plate of Leopold de Rothschild. London: Bembrose, 1907, p. 16, pl. XVI.
  • Rosenberg, Marc. Der Goldschmiede Merkzeichen. 4 vols. Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurter Verlags-Anstalt) 1922-28, vol. III, no. 4086i, p. 161.
  • Nürnberger Goldschmiedekunst. 1541-1868. Band I. Meister, Werke, Marken. 2 parts. Nuremberg (Verlag des Germanischen Nationalmuseums) 2007, part 1, mm766, pp. 364-365, object no. 02.
  • Tebbe, Karin, ed. Nürnberger Goldschmiedekunst. 1541-1868. Band II. Goldglanz und Silberstrahl. Exh. catalogue Germanisches Nationalmuseum 2007-2008, Nuremberg (Verlag des Germanischen Nationalmuseums) 2007, pp. 143-146.
  • Schroder, Timothy, ed. The Gilbert Collection at the V&A. London (V&A Publishing) 2009, ill. p. 8. ISBN9781851775934
  • Minter, Alice et al. Masterpieces in Miniature: Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2021, p.27, cat. 10
  • Robinson, J.C, Catalogue of the special exhibition of works of art of the mediæval, renaissance, and more recent periods : on loan at the South Kensington museum, June 1862, p. 508
Other numbers
  • SG266 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • SG 322 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1999.25 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.60:1, 2-2008

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Record createdJune 26, 2008
Record URL
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