Throughout the ages artists and craftsmen have made virtuoso carvings as a display of their skill and ingenuity. Although ivory, wood and stone are relatively easy to carve, other materials such as gemstones are much more demanding. Most of these carvings were made for wealthy patrons and collectors, who delighted in the rarity of the material and quality of the carving. Ivory turning was commonly practised in European courts during the 17th and 18th centuries, especially in Germany and Italy. Virtuoso pieces such as this cup and cover showed the skill of the carver, who was able to carve concentric ivory balls inside one another. Turned vessels were made in many German courts during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The exact provenance of this one remains uncertain.