Cup
mid 17th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This two handled cup was made in the mid-17th century in Königsberg (then in Prussia, now Kaliningrad in Russia) by an unknown artist. It has elegant arabesque gilt handles, each set with an oval amber boss. The form of this cup parallels other mid-17th century silver vessels produced in the Baltic region.
This cup would have been a prime candidate for a Kunstkammer collection of precious objects. British cabinets of curiosity often differed from the Continental equivalents, known as Kunstkammer or Wunderkammer ('cabinet of art of wonders') in being less systematic, but their contents were similar. Natural curiosities were combined with man-made works of art, and a particular emphasis was placed on exotic materials, such as amber, ivory and rock crystal, often elaborately worked. Cabinets such as that formed by John Tradescant (which forms the basis of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford), and the Paston family at Oxnead Hall, Norfolk, contained numerous shells and mother-of-pearl carvings, as well as objects of antiquarian interest. Collections formed by the king and the nobility generally had a higher proportion of works of art.
This cup would have been a prime candidate for a Kunstkammer collection of precious objects. British cabinets of curiosity often differed from the Continental equivalents, known as Kunstkammer or Wunderkammer ('cabinet of art of wonders') in being less systematic, but their contents were similar. Natural curiosities were combined with man-made works of art, and a particular emphasis was placed on exotic materials, such as amber, ivory and rock crystal, often elaborately worked. Cabinets such as that formed by John Tradescant (which forms the basis of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford), and the Paston family at Oxnead Hall, Norfolk, contained numerous shells and mother-of-pearl carvings, as well as objects of antiquarian interest. Collections formed by the king and the nobility generally had a higher proportion of works of art.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Amber with gilt brass mounts |
| Brief description | Cup, two-handled with figurative carvings of animals and fruit, amber with gilt brass mounts, Germany (Königsberg), mid 17th century |
| Physical description | Elegant arabesque gilt handles are both set with an oval amber boss; their form parallels those of mid-17th century silver vessels. Figurative carvings depict trophies of animals and fruit. The foot of the cup is adorned with three metal panels carved with fantastic sea-creatures. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | TWO HANDLED CUP
German, Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia); about 1650
Amber, gilt brass mounts
This cup was probably made especially for the Cabinet of Curiosities. Workshops of Amber carvers in the early 17th century produced many such objects for collectors. The use of clear amber meant that carvings could be seen from both sides, so the cup was intended to be picked up and looked at from all angles. Each of the seven panels that make up the sides of the cup has a carving of an animal: a pelican, a stag, an eagle, a squirrel, a fox, a swan and a rabbit.
(1993 - 2011) |
| Object history | English cabinets differed from the continental equivalent known as the Kunstkammer or Wunderkammer ('cabinet of art of wonders') in being less systematic but their contents were similar. Natural curiosities were combined with man-made and a particular emphasis was placed on exotic materials, often elaborately worked. Cabinets such as that formed by John Tradescant (which forms the basis of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) and the Paston family at Oxnead Hall, Norfolk, contained considerable amounts of shells and mother-of-pearl as well as objects of antiquarian interest, so differing from the collections formed by the king and the nobility which consisted largely of works of art. |
| Historical context | This cup would have been a prime candidate for a Kunstkammer collection of precious objects. |
| Production | Königsberg was till 1945 the capital of German province of East Prussia. Since then it is Kaliningrad, in today's Russia |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This two handled cup was made in the mid-17th century in Königsberg (then in Prussia, now Kaliningrad in Russia) by an unknown artist. It has elegant arabesque gilt handles, each set with an oval amber boss. The form of this cup parallels other mid-17th century silver vessels produced in the Baltic region. This cup would have been a prime candidate for a Kunstkammer collection of precious objects. British cabinets of curiosity often differed from the Continental equivalents, known as Kunstkammer or Wunderkammer ('cabinet of art of wonders') in being less systematic, but their contents were similar. Natural curiosities were combined with man-made works of art, and a particular emphasis was placed on exotic materials, such as amber, ivory and rock crystal, often elaborately worked. Cabinets such as that formed by John Tradescant (which forms the basis of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford), and the Paston family at Oxnead Hall, Norfolk, contained numerous shells and mother-of-pearl carvings, as well as objects of antiquarian interest. Collections formed by the king and the nobility generally had a higher proportion of works of art. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 659-1904 |
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| Record created | January 22, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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