Museum number
L2025.4
Object
Cup enamelled with grotesques Silver-gilt, parcel-gilt and enamel Augsburg, mark of Jeremias Mich(a)el, enamel David Altenstetter (?) c.1610
Materials
silver-gilt
enamel
On display?
Yes

Further description

Simple name
Silver
The delicate motifs on this cup, inspired by ancient Roman wall decoration, are known as ‘grotesques.’ They feature sprays of foliage, flowers, exotic birds, monkeys, and other animals. Altenstetter, a master of the basse-taille enamel technique, engraved the design on the metal surface and filled it with translucent coloured paste. The enamel’s colour changes with the depth of the cavity, appearing darker in deeper areas and lighter in shallower ones

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