Schlagwort: Muschel

aber die kunsthandwerkliche Arbeit lässt mich mit offenem Mund staunen.

This weekend we’re highlighting objects from the opulent #Waddesdon gallery. These Renaissance and medieval treasures were collected by Baron Rothschild and bequeathed to the Museum in 1898. This mounted nautilus shell cup was made in Germany during the 16th century. The nautilus is a squid-like sea creature with mother-of-pearl on the inside of its shell. It’s often said to be a ‘living fossil’ as it has evolved very little over millions of years. They live in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, and were an extremely exotic curiosity at the time. Here the shell has been carved with Chinese dragons, and set inside a silver-gilt mount. The mount shows a dragon swallowing its prey, and the interior of the shell has been opened up to form the inside of the dragon’s mouth. An infant Hercules sits astride the dragon’s neck, and the hinges on the sides show mermaids in Indian dress. The foot of the mount was made from a mould of a real sea eagle’s claw. The cup would have been an extravagant addition to any wealthy European’s collection of expensive ornaments. #nautilus #gold #engraving #Rothschild #Renaissance

A photo posted by British Museum (@britishmuseum) on Oct 29, 2016 at 2:21am PDT

This is the stunning Grenville Jewel. Its dazzling exterior is set with diamonds, emeralds, opals, rubies and pearls. The intricate floral design is enamelled gold, which continues onto the rear of the locket. It was made before 1643 in either London or Paris, and it opens up to reveal a miniature portrait of Sir Bevill Grenville, a Royalist general in the English Civil War (1642-1651). He sent this jewel to his wife, Lady Grace Grenville, between 1639-1643 when the political climate kept them apart. The enamelled pansies seen between the jewels are significant as the flowers were associated with loving thoughts at the time. See more exquisite jewellery and other Renaissance and medieval treasures in our #Waddesdon gallery. #jewellery #diamonds #BritishMuseum #Rothschild #locket

A photo posted by British Museum (@britishmuseum) on Oct 30, 2016 at 2:12am PDT