Cups of this kind are made out of the shell of a nautilus – a mollusc from Indonesia – set in a silver gilt mount. They became highly coveted luxury items in the second half of the 16th century. Here the stem is in the form of a satyr supporting the shell on his back. The cup it is topped with Neptune riding a fantastical animal with a fish’s tail. The small hole visible in his right hand probably indicates that he once held a trident, now lost. This piece was acquired by Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza in 1988.