Existing comment:
Welcome Cup in the Form of a Fox Holding a Goose
1565-1570
Paulus Tullner
These examples of the goldsmith's art can have their heads removed so their bodies can be used as drinking cups. The complex techniques required to produce them likely served as a topic of educated conversation in the Kunstkammer. The vessel shaped like a fox holding a goose echoes imagery in the coat of arms of its patron, Heinrich von Bobenhausen, head of the influential Teutonic Order of Knighthood. A guest invited to partake in a ritual of welcoming would drink from a symbol of his host. Kienle's gilding conveys the energy of his sculptural stallion, highlighting the differences between its musculature and that of its human rider. |