UNKNOWN GOLDSMITH, German
(active 1603-1609 in Nuremberg)

Grape Goblet

1603-09
Silver, gilt, embossed, engraved, height 29 cm
Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest

The shape of the goblet recalls natural forms, it was inspired by a thick bunch of grapes. (Its German name is Traubenpokal.) The cluster of grapes also alludes to the original function of the vessel as a wine goblet, although these cups were mostly used as representative table ornaments or gifts. This kind of cup appeared in Nuremberg at around 1600 and remained popular until the mid-seventeenth century among silversmiths of other south German towns such as Darmstadt and Strassburg, too.

The present grape goblet was produced by Hans Winkler (1562-1619), a silversmith in Nuremberg.