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In the collections of the Renaissance period, which during the course of the 16th century developed into the famous "Kunst- und Wunderkammern" (cabinets of art and wonders), objects were combined which above all aroused astonishment whether they were of natural or artificial origins.
The depicted crab (cancer pagurus) is the largest crab found in the Mediterranean and can reach a shell width of up to 30 cm. It offers a compact but at the same time also interesting form, which is why it was frequently used for casting from nature. Casts of crabs served primarily as unusual containers which were used for instance for ink.
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