Abraham Jamnitzer (1555-1600) and Wenzel Jamnitzer (1508-1585), Daphne with coral tines, Nuremberg, 1580 - 1586. Silver, gilt largely, Coral. H. 64.6 cm. Inventory number: VI 260. Green Vault © Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden 2016

Already in the Treasury inventory of 1586/87 this is listed as "1 Silver breast bilt of a virgin, with a large gewechß of coral Zincken ...". Certainly the bizarre object was never intended for practical use, although remove the upper body of the nymph in belt height and the hollow lower part could in principle use as a vessel. The statuette is rather regarded as an artistically and intellectually demanding goldsmiths plastic. It tells the written down by the ancient poet Ovid story of the nymph Daphne, who - to escape the approximations of the god Apollo - transformed into a laurel tree. To illustrate the miraculous metamorphosis coral teeth whose shape corresponds to the branches of a tree is used. The man-made artwork combines so ideally with rare Naturalie. As the goldsmiths brands betrayed, is a work Abraham Jamnitzer, son of the great Nuremberg goldsmith Wenzel Jamnitzer who was 1580 champion. Every detail he repeated with the Daphne a statuette that had created his father 1569-1576 and is now located in Ecouen, Musée National de la Renaissance. This was made possible with the help of molds which have remained in his father's workshop.