Precious objects from a Princely Kunstkammer sold at Christie's London, 30 June 2026 © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Lot 16. A German parcel-gilt silver-mounted shell nef, Bremen, circa 1600, maker's mark L beneath a coronet; 42.5 cm high. Price realised GBP 177,800 (Estimate GBP 120,000 – GBP 180,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

On oval spreading base with corded rim, the raised centre chased as the the seabed with monsters, the stem formed as male figure astride a dolphin and supporting the body formed from a Queen Helmet shell, held by four caryatid straps, the Queen Helmet shell body fitted with a shaped rim forming the balustrade, pierced for the ropes and fitted on the bow with a sea monster spout and on the other side with a mermaid supporting the stern, fitted with an open canopy, the bridge applied with cold enamelled soldiers and sailors, the mast with billowing sail, the crows-nest with two figures and flag, the bow further applied with an upright lion holding a key, symbol of the city of Bremen, marked on base and rim, with assay scrape.

Provenance: Private Collection, Paris.
with Kenneth Davis Ltd., London, 2017.

Literature: E. Edwards et J. Rohou, Le Goût de la Renaissance: Un dialogue entre collections, Heritage, 2024, p. 410, p. 307, illustrated.

Exhibited: Paris, Hôtel de la Marine, A Taste for the Renaissance: a dialogue between collections, 6 March - 30 June 2024, no. 131.

Note: Nefs are the most visually impressive form of Renaissance drinking vessels and examples that integrate exotic materials such as shells, ivory, amber or rock crystal are amongst the rarest with most held in princely kunstkammers such as the Green Vault in Dresden or museums.

A METAPHORIC CELEBRATORY CUP
The term 'nef 'derives from the Latin navis, meaning 'ship'. As in ecclesiastical architecture, the nave symbolises the Church as a vessel of salvation. As secular objects, nefs were placed during princely banquets beside the ruler or host to hold napkins, cutlery, and other dining implements. In Germanic culture, the nef became a celebratory cup in the form of a ship within the tradition of drinking games known as Trinkspiel. The 16th and 17th centuries were the golden age of hanaps in a variety of forms, which became essential pieces on the festive tables and buffets of wealthy families and guilds. Indeed the nef became an important symbol of the merchants, whose wealth largely derived from maritime trade; it was therefore a logical and ideal shape for a hanap, and by extension, a symbol of the owner’s role in modern commerce.

BREMEN: CITY OF MERCHANTS
Bremen was an important Hanseatic port city with a rich merchant population. The Schütting, the city’s merchant and tradesmen guild hall, located across from the town hall in Bremen's market square and the second most important building in the city, displays symbols of the city's mercantile and maritime history. The gable features a medieval cargo ship, known as a Kogge, with Neptune above and two shields beneath, one with the key representing St Peter, adopted by the city in 1366 after its liberation from the occupation by Prince-Archbishop Albert II. This Nef presents all the right attributes to suggest that it could have been made for the city guild to be used for banquets and as a symbol of wealth and power.

Comparative literature: F. M. Kammel, ed., Traumschiffe der Renaissance, Munich, 2024.

Lot 17. A German silver-gilt mounted ostrich egg cup and cover, Mark of Georg Christoph I Erhart (Erhard), Augsburg, 1612-1616; 43 cm high. Unsold (Estimate GBP 150,000 – GBP 250,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

On circular spreading foot chased with a chain-link band, the raised centre applied with three scrolls and three cartouches centred by a cherub mask, the stem formed from three accollé ostriches interspersed with caryatid scrolls, the egg forming the cup held by three large straps depicting a winged caryatid attached to the stiff-leaf borders, the conforming cover with raised finial formed as an ostrich holding a shield engraved with coat-of-arms and with initials above, marked on foot, rim and cover, with assay scrapes

The arms and initials are those of the von Rehlingen (also spelt Rehlinger, Relinger, Rechlinger or Röhlinger) with the initials 'BR' for Bernhard von Rehlingen (1563-1645).
 

Provenance: Bernhard von Rehlingen (1563-1645).
Michael Wellby (1928- 2012).
with Kenneth Davis Ltd., London, 2015.
 

Note: his impressive cup is engraved with the arms and initials of Bernhard von Rehlingen (1563–1645) a member of an old Bavarian noble family and an influential councillor of Augsburg who ardently defended the rights of Protestants. This cup with its exotic ostrich egg, a symbol of moral value and strength may have been a gift created by a Protestant goldsmith for the defender of their cause.

THE OSTRICH: MYSTICAL CREATURE OR GUILD EMBLEM?
Ostriches were introduced to Europe as early as Antiquity through Roman imports and later appeared in medieval menageries. Their eggs were often associated with those of mythical creatures such as the griffin and the phoenix, as well as the pelican, and came to symbolise the Passion of Christ and the Immaculate Conception and as such immortality and sacrifice. As a result, the ostrich acquired a strong mystical and symbolic significance.
From the late 13th century onwards ostriches were believed to be able to consume iron and other metals. This unusual reputation led the bird to become an emblem of the iron trade. Although by the late 17th century, naturalists began challenging the notion of the ostrich as a “metal eater”, the association endured, establishing the bird as a lasting symbol of the iron industry.
 

ORNAMENTAL OBJECTS
Ostrich eggs were also prized as exotic natural curiosities and became highly sought-after objects in Renaissance Kunstkammers, alongside nautilus and turbo shells. Mounted in silver or gilt silver, they were transformed into luxurious decorative objects and ceremonial drinking vessels. On this cup, the ostrich motif dominates every part of the object, it serves to emphasise the object’s exotic and precious nature, as well as the worldliness and enlightenment of its owner.

THE ARMS OF THE VON REHLINGEN FOR BERNHARD VON REHLINGEN
The arms and initials engraved on the finial are those of Bernhard von Rehlingen (1563–1645) a member of an old Bavarian noble family that settled in Augsburg around 1300. Trained in law, he entered Augsburg’s civic administration in 1589 and became an influential city councillor, serving in both the tax office from 1593 to 1611 and then the building authority. He played an important role in shaping the city’s legislation and oversaw major urban projects, including Augsburg’s famous fountains and public buildings created by artists such as Adrian de Vries, Hubert Gerhard, and the architect Elias Holl.
During the Thirty Years’ War, Rehlingen worked to protect Augsburg from famine and strengthen its defences. A committed Protestant, he resisted Jesuit and imperial efforts to impose the Counter-Reformation on Augsburg through the Edict of Restitution. Although unable to prevent the confiscation of Protestant churches, the expulsion of clergy, and the removal of Protestants from public office, he consistently opposed these measures and sought to defend the rights of his fellow citizens.
During the Swedish occupation of Augsburg by King Gustavus Adolphus in 1632 Rehlingen was briefly dismissed and imprisoned, but soon released. After imperial forces regained control of the city in 1635, he returned to office and continued advocating moderation and religious coexistence. His efforts helped preserve a degree of legal representation for Augsburg’s Protestant community during years of severe repression. Rehlingen died in 1645 and was remembered by Augsburg’s Protestants as a courageous and principled defender of their rights.

Lot 18. A Continental parcel-gilt silver mounted nautilus shell cup, Central Europe, circa 1640; 28 cm high. Price realised GBP 76,200 (Estimate GBP 70,000 – GBP 100,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026
 

On oval spreading foot chased on the rim with sea monsters and and on raised centre with snails, duck and frog, the stem formed as a kneeling boy, the bowl of the cup formed from a nautilus shell, held by four straps chased with stiff leaves, the upper rim engraved with scrolling foliage and flowers, applied on the top of the shell with a figure holding a spear whilst riding a whale, the cover possibly associated, chased with sea monsters within waves, the finial formed as a merman blowing a conch shell, the shell engraved with a double-headed eagle beneath a crown, engraved on underside of foot-rim with 2=80, apparently unmarked, with assay scrape
The arms engraved on the shell are those of the Holy Roman Empire without the escutcheon in pretence displaying the personal arms of the emperor.
 

Provenance: Michael Wellby (1928-2012).
With Kenneth Davis Ltd., London, 2017.
 

Literature: E. Edwards and J. Rohou, Le Gout de la Renaissance: Un dialogue entre collections, Heritage, February 2024, pp. 287 and 304, cat. no. 127, p. 410.
 

Exhibited: Paris, Hôtel de la Marine, A Taste for the Renaissance: a dialogue between collections, 6 March - 30 June 2024. pp. 287 and 304.
 

NAUTILUS SHELL CUPS
Silver-mounted nautilus shells were prized in Europe from as early as the 13th century, although evidence from church treasury inventories suggests that nautilus shells had already reached Europe by the ninth century (H. Mette, Der Nautiluspokal, Munich, 1995, p. 33). Transported through Asian and Middle Eastern trade networks, these exotic shells became increasingly available after European merchants established direct access to the Spice Islands. From 1602, the founding of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and its subsequent dominance over trade in the Spice Islands, effectively granted the Dutch a monopoly on the importation of nautilus shells, which were distributed across Europe by Dutch merchants to be mounted by local goldsmiths.

On the present nautilus, the arms of the Holy Roman Empire, lacking the escutcheon of the personal arms of the emperor, attest to the popularity of nautilus shells across Europe and especially in landlocked countries where they appeared as even more mysterious and exotic.
Maritime imagery became one of the defining artistic languages of the 16th and 17th centuries, reflecting Europe’s fascination with overseas exploration and global trade. Such iconography appeared widely in the decorative arts and quite naturally on objects made from marine materials like nautilus and turbo shells. In this context, it functioned as a symbolic reminder of the distant origins of these precious materials and of the global trade routes through which they reached Europe. Nautilus cups thus embodied both artistic invention and the growing awareness of the wider world, fostered by international commerce, reinforced here by the kneeling native figure, who symbolises the riches of distant lands.

Nautilus cups remain the most ambiguous drinking vessels. Dutch examples often have less invasive mounts which serve as a frame to present the exotic material, rather than the shell being an accessory to the silver work. German nautilus cups, on the other hand, have sturdier mounts to be used as drinking vessels, however, as most are unlined, they were likely intended purely as decorative objects for display. Here the iconography and coat-of-arms suggest that the nautilus cup was made in central Europe most probably for a princely collection.

Lot 19. A pair of German jewelled silver-gilt mounted nautilus cups, circa 1602; 26.5 cm and 27 cm high. Unsold (Estimate GBP 300,000 – GBP 500,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Shaped as swans, representing a cob and a pen, each on oval base cast and chased as a rocky ground with bullrushes and grass, the outer border with sea monsters and birds amongst waves, each body formed from a nautilus shell resting on finely cast and chased legs and held by four straps pierced on the front and the back with caryatids and foliage, set at intervals with gems, and on each side with mermaid holding a cornucopia set with rubies, the neck chased with feathers and applied at the front with an amethyst cabochon centring an elaborate cartouche held by a simulated chain around the neck, the shell rim mount etched and chased with strapwork, floral bouquets and exotic birds, engraved with a coat-of-arms flanked by the initials CH, apparently unmarked

The arms are those of Christian II (1583-1611), Elector of Saxony and his wife Princess Hedwig of Denmark (1581-1641) whom he married in 1602.
 

Provenance: Christian II (1583-1611), Elector of Saxony and his wife Princess Hedwig of Denmark (1581-1641).
Michael Wellby (1928-2012).
with Kenneth Davis Ltd., London, 2013.
 

Literature: Treasures from the Al Thani Collection: Masterpieces from a Royal Collection, The Forbidden City Publishing House, 2018, pp. 532-535; illus. pp. 533- 535; cat. no. 199.
E. Edwards and J. Rohou, Le Gout de la Renaissance, un dialogue entre collections, Editions du Patrimoine, Paris, 2024, p. 290 and 305.
 

Exhibited: Beijing, Palace Museum, Treasures from the Al Thani Collection: Masterpieces from a Royal Collection, 17April-17 June 2018, cat. no. 199.
Paris, Hôtel de la Marine, A Taste for the Renaissance: a dialogue between collections, 6 March-30 June 2024, cat. no. 129.
 

A WEDDING PRESENT
These cups were probably a present or a commission to mark the union of Christian II of Saxony and his consort Princess Hedwig of Denmark in 1602. Indeed the swans are symbols of fidelity and strength, an appropriate choice to commemorate a such union. Following Christian II's early death, these swans could have entered Princess Hedwig's collection at Lichtenburg Castle where she resided during her widowhood until her death in 1641.*
Christian II was, like his father, an avid collector who added many objects to his Treasury. An inventory of the treasury in Dresden drawn up in 1610 records that in the years 1601 to 1604 Christian II acquired from the Leipzig dealer Veit Bӧtticher a variety of vessels formed as mythical beasts with shell bodies. These swan cups could therefore have been purchased, rather than a specific commission.

Christian II (1583–1611) was the eldest son of Christian I, Elector of Saxony and his wife Sophie of Brandenburg. He served as the Elector of Saxony from 1591 until his early death, though he only took full personal control in 1601 after a decade-long regency. His reign was defined by a sharp return to strict orthodox Lutheranism, effectively purging the 'Crypto-Calvinist' influences that had gained ground under his father, Christian I. Politically, he was known for his loyalty to the Holy Roman Emperor and his refusal to join the Protestant Union, a decision that isolated Saxony from other German Protestant states and complicated the religious landscape leading up to the Thirty Years' War. In 1602, he married Princess Hedwig of Denmark with whom he had a happy marriage despite them having no children. Princess Hedwig of Denmark (1581–1641) was the daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and the sister of King Christian IV, and she brought significant prestige and international connections to the Saxon court. After Christian II’s death she resided at Lichtenburg Castle, where she exercised considerable political autonomy, often acting as a diplomat between her brother in Denmark and the Saxon electors, and she was widely respected by her subjects as a 'mother of the country' for her charitable works and leadership.
 

DRESDEN SCHATZKAMMER
These cups are typical of the style of objects collected by the Electors of Saxony for the Dresden Schatzkammer founded by Augustus I in 1560. Although there had been a silver vault in the palace of Dresden as early as 1469, it was valued around 1530 at 128,393 Guldengroschen (approximately £6 million). Made of both natural and man-made objects, it embodied the late medieval and Renaissance encyclopaedic vision of the world whilst reflecting the specific tastes and interests of its owners, notably in its many scientific and technical objects, since Saxony, a country rich in minerals, owed much of its early importance to mining and manufacturing. Along with these mechanical and technical instruments and natural-history specimens, the Schatzkammer contained works of art in a variety of materials fashioned into beautiful and often whimsical objects, as well as paintings and prints.*
The Schatzkammer was originally installed in seven rooms on the uppermost floor of the electoral palace's west wing and was mentioned for the first time in 1572. Precious objects in gold, silver and gems were also stored in the Geheime Verwahrung (Secret Storage Vault) known as the Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault) from 1586 until the eighteenth century. Built directly below the royal apartments, they were accessible by a secret staircase. The Elector's successors, Christian I (r. 1586–1591), Christian II (r. 1591⁄1601–1611), and Johan Georg I (r. 1611–1656) continued to expand the collections, reflecting their individual tastes as well as a strong desire to enrich the splendor of the Dresden court. Between 1723 and 1730, Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and king of Poland (r. 1694–1733), undertook a massive reorganisation of the collections, and the Green Vault was not only enlarged but became a functional museum in the modern sense.

Dresden became increasingly important during the Renaissance when it became the seat of the Electors of Saxony, and the Schatzkammer was a clear demonstration of power made up of the richest and largest collection of precious objects made between 1650 and 1725. As the fashion for this style of collection spread across Europe, the princely collectors engaged in fierce competition, trying to outdo one another in the magnificence and rarity of the objects they amassed.

Several works comparable to the swans are known; however, no pair appears to have survived.
One with silver body by Jorg Rühl, Nuremberg, circa 1610, Baron Karl von Rothschild, Frankfurt 1885, sold Sotheby's London 26 April 1937, lot 236, Collection Victor Rothschild and then sold Christie's, London, 28 November 1973, lot 57.
One by Jorg Rühl, Nuremberg, 1598-1625, the Kremlin Armoury Museum (ДК-174).
One by Jorg Rühl, Nuremberg, 1600-1610, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, (inv no. K 169 D), illustrated in H. Muller, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection: European Silver, 1986, p. 180-181, no. 52.
One by Melchior Bair, Augsburg, 1590-1595, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, (inv no. K 189 E), illustrated in H. Muller, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection: European Silver, 1986, p. 168-169, no. 47.
One by Friederich Hillebrandt, Dresden, 1603-1608, the Grünes Gewӧlbe, illustrated. in Prof. Dr. Sponsel, Das Grüne Gewölbe zu Dresden: eine Auswahl von Meisterwerken der Goldschmiedekunst, vol. 1, Leipzig, 1925, p. 144-145.
Another with unidentified mark, the Grünes Gewӧlbe, illustrated in Prof. Dr. Sponsel, Das Grüne Gewölbe zu Dresden: eine Auswahl von Meisterwerken der Goldschmiedekunst, vol. 1, Leipzig, 1925, p. 142-143.
 

Comparative literature: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Splendor of Dresden, Five centuries of Art Collecting, 21 October 1978-13 January 1979, New Haven, 1978.
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden and Grünes Gewölbe, Die kürfürstlich sächsische Kunstkammer in Dresden, Dresden, 2010-2012.
Prof. Dr. Sponsel, Das Grüne Gewölbe zu Dresden: eine Auswahl von Meisterwerken der Goldschmiedekunst, four volumes, Leipzig, 1925.
 

Lot 20. A rock crystal vase, Milan, circa 1550-1575; the handles and gilt-metal mounts later; 21.8 cm high, 28.5 cm wide; 24.5 cm deep. Price realised GBP 88,900 (Estimate GBP 40,000 – GBP 60,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026
 

made from three pieces of rock crystal; two ring handles in the shape of a sphinx, mermaid or winged chimera, attached with mounts that pierce the central body, carved from a single block, the central body resembles a flattened globe and has a short neck
 

Provenance: Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 20 November 2001, lot 91.
Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 18 May 2016, lot 136.
With Sylvie Lhermite-King, 2018.
 

Literature: The Glory of the Goldsmith, Magnificent Gold and Silver from the Al-Tajir Collection, London, 1989, p.264, no. 224.
L.A. Mira, At The Prince's Table, AR PAB, 2018, pp.247-259.
E. Edwards & J. Rohou, Le Gout de la Renaissance: Un dialogue entre collections, Heritage, February 2024, p.265, p. 396, p. 399; p. 265 illustrated.
 

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: D. Angulo Iniguez, Catalogo de las Alhajas del Delfin, Milan, 1989.
D. Alcouffe, Les Gemmes de la Couronne, Paris, 2001.
R. Distelberger, Die Kunst des Steinschnitts - Prünkgefässe, Kameen und Commessi aus der Kunstkammer, Milan, 2002.
L. A. Mira ed., Arte Transparente, la talla del cristal en al Renacimiento Milanés, exh. cat., Madrid, 2015.
 

Exhibited: Paris, Hôtel de la Marine, A Taste for the Renaissance: a dialogue between collections, 6 March - 30 June 2024.
 

Note: Rock crystal – a naturally occurring mineral – has been revered by all cultures since antiquity. In late mediaeval and renaissance paintings, objects that today are often thought to be glass were, in fact, made of rock crystal, and were symbols of enormous wealth and prestige.

The reason for this prestige was largely due to two factors: the first was that large specimens of rock crystal with few flaws – as in the present case – were relatively rare. The other factor was that the extreme hardness of the material meant that creating a work of art could only be achieved by the most highly trained artists. Rock crystal could not be carved in the same way that marble could be carved. Most of the finer detail needed to be ground and polished with special tools. The resulting costs involved in the sourcing and creating of these objects therefore meant that they could only be afforded by the wealthiest individuals.
Among the most important renaissance artists specialising in the creation of works of art in rock crystal, as well as other hardstones, were the Miseroni family. Originating in Milan, their work spanned several generations. Ambrogio Matteo Miseroni was a goldsmith and his sons Gasparo (1518 – c. 1573) and Girolamo (1522 - 1584) inherited his workshop and became highly skilled in the production of hardstone works of art. Gasparo is known to have worked for the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I as well as the Medici court in the 1550s. Gasparo’s sons transferred the workshop to Prague, and Ottavio (1567-1624) worked for both Ferdinand I and his successor Rudolf II, who ennobled Gasparo in 1608. The workshop continued in Prague until the death of Ottavio’s grandson Ferdinand Eusebius in 1684.

The present vase displays many of the characteristics of work created in Milan under the pervasive influence of the Miseroni family and was published by Letizia Arbeteta Mira in 2018 (loc. cit.). In her entry she notes that ‘the decoration follows the tripartite scheme typical of the Milanese school: upper and lower gadrooned bands that serve as a frame for a narrative scene which unfolds in the round’ (ibid., p. 250). As with most vases of the period, the present lot follows antique forms. It is comparable in its general composition to examples held in international museums such as an urn attributed to the Saracchi workshops, third quarter of the 16th century, in the Prado Museum, Madrid (inv. no. O 95, illustrated in ibid., fig. 5).

Lot 21. A pair of silver and gilt-copper mounted blue glass dragons, Italian, probably Florence, circa 1615; 21 cm high; 26 cm wide; 10 cm deep. Price realised GBP 165,100 (Estimate GBP 70,000 – GBP 100,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026
 

the blue glass bodies possibly original, with some restoration and replacements to the silver elements
 

Provenance: With Sylvie Lhermite-King, Paris, 2013.
 

Literature: E. Edwards & J. Rohou, Le Gout de la Renaissance: Un dialogue entre collections, Heritage, February 2024, p.357; p. 128 illustrated.
 

Exhibited: Paris, Hôtel de la Marine, A Taste for the Renaissance: a dialogue between collections, 6 March - 30 June 2024.
 

Note: These spectacular dragons have an art-historical heritage that stems from two of the most important centres in renaissance Europe – Venice and Florence. Venice, of course has an ancient tradition of glass-making, but in the 16th century Florence began to foster its own school dedicated to the art. After years of attempting to entice a Venetian familiar with the production of glass, Grand Duke Cosimo I succeeded in bringing Bortolo d’Alvise to Florence, where he is documented from 1569. He remained for 14 years and a fledgling school was begun. By 1618 it had grown and was under the direction of Niccolo Landi and was situated in the Boboli Gardens in close proximity to the Pitti Palace.

The glass ovoid bodies of the present dragons, with silver and gilt-bronze mounts, follow a Venetian tradition of mounted glass objects, especially vases. However, it is clear that there was also significant artistic input from other sources. The creativity of designers in the employ of the Medici in the early 17th century is testament to the ingenuity of Florentine artists and those who were brought to Florence to participate in the vibrant cultural milieu. The reputation of objects from the glassworks grew and, as with works in hardstone from the Opificio delle pietre dure and bronzes, became coveted diplomatic gifts from the Medicean court.
Numerous designs for such works of art are extant in Florentine archives such as the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe. Fantastical objects by artists including the designer Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1627) and the engraver and draughtsman Jacques Callot (1592-1635) – who worked for the Medici from at least 1612 until 1619 – clearly suggest a Florentine origin for the present dragons.

Another gilt-copper-mounted glass dragon which was owned by the renowned Parisian dealer Jacques Kugel in 1966, and which is now in a private collection was also described as being from the Medici glass manufactory and dated to circa 1620. The close similarity of the head and the overall composition between that object and the lot offered here leave no doubt that they are from the same workshop, and perhaps the same hand.

It has been suggested that the present dragons may have been commissioned by – or as a gift for – the powerful Borghese family, whose coat of arms include a dragon on a blue ground.

Lot 22. A fine small gold-mounted lapis lazuli bucket, Florence or Milan, last quarter of the 16th century; 12 cm high, 8 cm wide. Price realised GBP 76,200 (Estimate GBP 30,000 – GBP 50,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026
 

The gold mounts probably later, with restoration to a portion of the handle
 

Provenance: Frédéric Spitzer (1815-1890) until sold,
his sale, P. Chevallier & C. Mannheim, Paris, 17 April - 16 June 1893, lot 2627, illustrated pl. 59.
With Graf Paris, 2015.
 

Literature: La collection Spitzer: Antiquité, Moyen-Age, Renaissance, vol. II, Paris, 1891, p. 233, no. 35.
E. Edwards & J. Rohou, Le Gout de la Renaissance: Un dialogue entre collections, Heritage, February 2024, p.262, p. 396, p. 399; p. 270 illus.
 

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: R. Distelberger, Die Kunst des Steinschnitts - Prünkgefässe, Kameen und Commessi aus der Kunstkammer, Milan, 2002, nos. 64 and 65, pp. 148-153.
 

Exhibited: Paris, Hôtel de la Marine, A Taste for the Renaissance: a dialogue between collections, 6 March - 30 June 2024.
 

Note: Lapis lazuli is a metamorphic stone that has been prized for its intense colour since the ancient civilisations of the Indus Valley. Although found in other locations internationally, the largest deposits are mined in modern day Afghanistan, and it was imported at huge expense from there into Europe in the medieval and renaissance eras. Ground and converted into the pigment known as ultramarine, it was one of the most coveted elements of altarpieces and paintings of the period.

The present pendant bucket has formerly been described as coming from the Medici workshops of Florence – the celebrated Opificio delle Pietre Dure – but it could also take its origins from workshops specialising in the production of hardstone objects such as those run by the Miseroni and Saracchi families in Milan. It can be compared in its material and overall form to a mounted bucket with handle in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. 1774; for an illustration and analysis see Distelberger, op. cit., no. 64, pp. 148-150). This item has been attributed to Gasparo Miseroni (1518 - c. 1573) and was documented in the inventory of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II executed in 1607-11. It can also be compared to a lidded and mounted vase – also attributed to Miseroni and found in the same Viennese inventory – which displays the same cylindrical form with marginally concave vertical sides and a bulbous lower section (ibid., no. 65, pp. 150-153).

This lot was formerly in the collection of the celebrated dealer and collector Frederic Spitzer (1815-1890) and was included in the mammoth, posthumous sale of his collection in Paris in 1893 as lot 2627.

Christie's. The Exceptional Sale: Masterworks Across Cultures, London, 30 June 2026