{"id":2750,"date":"2016-12-18T01:09:54","date_gmt":"2016-12-18T00:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.libroart.de\/lindabroszeit\/?p=2750"},"modified":"2016-12-12T04:12:23","modified_gmt":"2016-12-12T03:12:23","slug":"man-muss-es-nicht-schoen-finden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.libroart.de\/lindabroszeit\/2016\/12\/18\/man-muss-es-nicht-schoen-finden\/","title":{"rendered":"Man muss es nicht sch\u00f6n finden…"},"content":{"rendered":"

aber die kunsthandwerkliche Arbeit l\u00e4sst mich mit offenem Mund staunen.<\/p>\n

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This weekend we\u2019re 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\u2019s often said to be a \u2018living fossil\u2019 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\u2019s mouth. An infant Hercules sits astride the dragon\u2019s 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\u2019s claw. The cup would have been an extravagant addition to any wealthy European\u2019s collection of expensive ornaments. #nautilus #gold #engraving #Rothschild #Renaissance<\/a><\/p>\n

A photo posted by British Museum (@britishmuseum) on