Lidded trophy, cup, or topper made of rhinoceros horn, circa 1650. Formerly attributed to: Georg Pfründt (1603 Flachslanden - 1663 Durlach), Southern Germany Nuremberg. Height 45.5 cm, Width 29 cm, Kunstkammer, 3715 © Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

The horn of the Indian rhinoceros was particularly prized by wealthy collectors in Europe and was frequently crafted into decorative pieces by European artisans. This goblet is crowned with a fully sculpted rhinoceros, modeled after the one in Albrecht Dürer's 1515 woodcut. A crowned Native American chieftain, clad in a feather skirt, rides the animal; his right hand originally held an object. Behind the rhinoceros, a lady with a parasol, covered only by a loincloth, sits atop a pile of gourd-like fruits. The figures of the Native American chieftain and the lady are likely based on the depiction of exotic peoples in Hans Burgkmair's woodcut for Emperor Maximilian's triumphal procession. The oval lid beneath the rhinoceros is bordered by gilded, palmette-shaped silver mounts, which are repeated at the base of the goblet. The opening at the pointed end of the horizontally positioned horn features a grotesque face, while the decoration of the remaining exterior surfaces consists of lions tearing apart horses, snakes, and an elephant. Further reliefs depicting fighting sea serpents and dolphins are mounted on the oval base of the goblet. Above these rises a fully sculpted pair of lovers, serving as the shaft and dressed identically to the two figures on the horn. This provides a clue to the material used, as powdered rhinoceros horn has traditionally been considered an aphrodisiac in China, a practice that persists to this day.

The Kunstkammer of the Kunsthistorisches Museum houses two further rhinoceros horn goblets (KK 3699 and 3689) with an almost identical design. While the first features a similar exotic couple, the human figures on the second have been replaced by European motifs—presumably Venus and Mars—carved from ivory. The Viennese goblets are attributed to the wax modeler, medalist, and die cutter Georg Pfründt.