Nautilus Cup
Late 17th Century (Shell: 3rd quarter 17th century; mounts: 1710-1720)
            
                Nautilus shell and silver, gilt. 
              28.8 cm (height)
              Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections, on deposit at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza
              
                Inv. no.   (
              DEC0919
)
              Nautilus cups became increasingly elaborate and ornate. On the shell Bellekin combines carvings of vine leaves and bunches of grapes with a bacchanalia scene engraved in black. The swan mount dates from a later period. It is common to find nautilus cups with components from different periods, as the shells were sold separately. This piece was crafted in Holland in the seventeenth century, and the mounts are clearly consistent with the style prevalent in Augsburg in the early 1700s. The cup was acquired by Baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza before 1939 and bequeathed to his son Hans Heinrich, who continued to add to the collection of precious metalwork now on show in these galleries.
 
                       
                       
                       
                      