Cup
ca. 1620 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Many German 16th century cups took the form of a bird with a removable head. This tradition continued into the 17th century. The parrot perches on a whistle, which may have been used in some form of drinking game, to simulate the parrot's call.
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.
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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt, chased and cast. Table-cut diamonds. |
| Brief description | Silver-gilt cup in the form of a parrot, Germany, ca.1620. |
| Physical description | A silver-gilt cup in the form of a parrot which rests on a perch and clutches a half walnut shell in its right talon. The bird is chased all over with feather decoration and holds a loop in its mouth. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | (Gallery 70, case 6)
14. Cup in the form of a parrot
About 1620
This exotic parrot is an appropriate choice for
a Schatzkammer. It perches on a whistle, which
may have been used in a drinking game, to
simulate the parrot’s call.
Germany; maker’s mark THS
Gilded silver and diamonds
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.59:1, 2-2008(16/11/2016) |
| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | A comparable gilded copper parrot, c. 1600, as a table clock is in the Bavarian National Museum. See: Maurice, Klaus. Die Welt als Uhr. Deutsche Uhren und Automaten1550-1650. Munich and Berlin: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 1980. Cat. no. 70, p. 253 (ill.). Provenance Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1987. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Many German 16th century cups took the form of a bird with a removable head. This tradition continued into the 17th century. The parrot perches on a whistle, which may have been used in some form of drinking game, to simulate the parrot's call. 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 reference | Schroder, Timothy. The Gilbert collection of gold and silver: recent acquisitions. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1988, cat. no. L. |
| Other number | SG 189 - Arthur Gilbert Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.59:1, 2-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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