Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 69, The Whiteley Galleries

Pineapple Cup and Cover

1609 (made)
Artist/Maker
Esaias Zur Linden (maker)
Place of origin
Nuremberg (made)

Silver-gilt pineapple cup and cover, on circular lobed foot, the stem in the form of a tree trunk with an axeman, the lid with a vase shaped knop and floral finial.


Object details

Categories
Metalwork
Drinking
Containers
Object type
Pineapple cup and cover
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Cups
  • Lid
Materials and techniques
Silver-gilt
Brief description
Pineapple cup and cover, gilded silver, Germany (Nuremberg), mark of Esaias zur Linden, 1609
Physical description
Silver-gilt pineapple cup and cover, on circular lobed foot, the stem in the form of a tree trunk with an axeman, the lid with a vase shaped knop and floral finial.
Dimensions
  • Foot diameter: 7.90cm
  • Height: 35.00cm
  • Length: 8.20cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Dutch control mark (19th century: register says 1807-10) (on rim)
  • maker's mark Esaias zur Linden (MZ527, Nürnberger Goldschmiedekunst 2007)) (on rim and foot)
  • Nuremberg Hallmark (BZ12, Nürnberger Goldschmiedekunst, 2007) (on rim)
Gallery label
  • GRACE CUP Silver-gilt, with silver decoration. Town mark of Nurnberg. Maker, Esaias zur Linden (master 1609, died 1632). About 1620. M.370-1910.(Pre-2000)
  • Silver Gallery: Often known as 'pineapple cups', the inspiration this type of cup is in fact a bunch of grapes, a form very well-suited to a display piece notionally intended for wine. They were a speciality of Nuremberg goldsmiths during the early 17th century and were made to a standard formula, although in different sizes. The woodman hacking at the stem with his axe and the vase of flowers finial were both common features. Esaias zu Linden had a distinctive punning maker's mark, formed as a 'linden' tree.(26/11/2002)
Object history
Purchase - (£50) Lieut. Col. G. Mackinlay


Has been re-gilt, stem possibly a replacement, base of finial on lid a replacement, stem identical to cup from the Potocki loan.
Essasias zur Linden was a well-known maker of ship vessels.
Bibliographic reference
Nürnberger Goldschmiedekunst. 1541-1868. Band I. Meister, Werke, Marken. 2 parts. Nuremberg (Verlag des Germanischen Nationalmuseums) 2007. Part I, p. 256, MZ527, no. 01.
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
M.370&A-1910

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Record createdFebruary 9, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O91631/pineapple-cup-and-esaias-zur-linden/
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