“A glass of nautilus in the form of a rooster” is a vessel made by the workshop of the German jeweler Wenzel Jamnitser (1508-1585). Created in the 3rd quarter of the XVI century in Nuremberg . Stored in the in the Museum of Art History , Vienna (inventory number UK 1060).
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| workshop of Wenzel Jamnitser | ||
| A glass of nautilus in the form of a rooster . 3rd quarter of the XVI century | ||
| nautilus shell, silver , partially gilded , painted; casts of nature. 18.4 × cm | ||
| Museum of Art History , Vienna | ||
The nautilus shell is one of the exotic materials that in the 16th century came to Europe through the sea and found use in jewelry, as well as other rare and therefore especially valuable natural specimens (nuts of a giant palm tree, ostrich eggs, etc.).
In this item, the jeweler plays with the elongated form of the nautilus shell that is exotic for Western Europe, which caused him to be associated with the body of the rooster , his lush tail and inflated chest. The base surface of this original container is animated by plants and small lizards , which are painted “nature casts” of silver , therefore the object is attributed to the workshop of Wenzel Jamnitser in Nuremberg , which specialized in casts of nature ( French le style rustique ).
Literature
- Konrad Schlegel. Museum of Art History. Vein. Kunstkamera, Vienna. - London: CHBeck / Scala Publishers Ltd, 2013. - 128 p. - (Museums of the world). - ISBN 978-3-406-64752-9 .