UNKNOWN GOLDSMITH, Italian
(active mid-16th century)

Cup with Gilded Manikin Handles

around 1550
Rock crystal, gold ornaments, 19 x 25 cm
Museo degli Argenti, Palazzo Pitti, Florence

The cup originated from Milan, the gold ornaments were made in the Medici workshops in Florence.

Of particular interest on this cup are the naval battle scenes carved into the bottom part; above, fruit garlands are running along the cup's rim. Because of the extreme hardness of the material, the techniques used to work rock crystal are the same as those used on gem- and hardstones, and require great skill. The pair of winged grotesque figures with bifrontal heads made of gold and enamel that serve as the handles reflect the Mannerist taste for extravagance and preciousness prevalent during the reign of Francesco I de' Medici in Florence.