Cup and cover, copper-gilt with cold enamel paint, Germany, probably Nuremberg, about 1500

Copper-gilt cup or beaker on three feet with a cover, the whole designed as a towered city. The sides of the beaker are embossed (hammered) to resemble rusticated masonry. Each foot resembles an architectural ensemble including a turreted wall, portcullis and peak-roofed buildings. Bands of crenellated and turreted walls encircle the base and middle of the beaker. The cover resembles a soaring towered city built up around a road that spirals up to the topmost tower and is lined with numerous peak-roofed buildings featuring windows, turrets, gables and colonnading. Small figures and animals are placed thoughout the structure. The cover, bands and feet are all decorated with cold enamel paint.

Acquired by the Museum in 1874 from the collection of London dealer John Webb.

A scientific analysis of the surface pigments in 2004 suggested that some of them (the mineral lazurite and compound lead tin yellow) were appropriate for an early date, certainly pre-18th century (see Condition).

Historical significance: This piece shows a very rare and unusual use of copper-gilt for what appears be a luxury display item. Silver-gilt would have been more usual for the period.

Although ostensibly a drinking cup, this tour-de-force of German goldsmiths work was most probably made to delight the eye in a collector's cabinet. The degree of architectural detail is astonishing and rewards close scrutiny. It bears comparison with a later small group of German goldsmiths work resembling fantasy cities, possibly inspired by the many towered cityscape of Nuremberg (the uppermost tower on the cover of this cup has been likened to the Vestner Tower in Nuremberg, see Husband under References). This group includes a container in the form of a city sitting on a rock made by Nuremberg goldsmith Abraham Jamnizter (1555-after 1591) around 1590 (now in a private collection), displayed in the exhibition Wenzel Jamnitzer und die Nürnberger Golschmiedekunst 1500-1700 at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg, 28 June to 15 September 1985 (catalogue number 76).

Jopek raises the question of whether this may have been a copper version of a (more expensive) silver version by a goldsmith, or a conscious imitation by a coppersmith of goldsmithing techniques?

Ascribed by Kohlhaussen to the Nuremberg goldsmith Sebastian Lindenast the Elder but disputed by Husband and not referred to by Jopek (see References).

Although ostensibly a drinking cup, this tour-de-force of German goldsmiths work was most probably made to delight the eye in a collector's cabinet. The degree of architectural detail is astonishing and rewards close scrutiny. It bears comparison with a later small group of German goldsmiths work resembling fantasy cities, possibly inspired by the many towered cityscape of Nuremberg (the uppermost tower on the cover of this cup has been likened to the Vestner Tower in Nuremberg).

245:1, 2-1874