Covered Cup (Pokal) in Celebration of Music and Dance
Artist: Workshop of Gottfried Spiller (engraver) (German (Potsdam-Berlin), 1663 -1728)
Date: about 1715-1725
Dimensions:
17 1/8 in. (42.8 cm)
Medium: potash-lime glass
Classification: Glass
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1950.43
Label Text:A stellar example of German Baroque glass-cutting, this vessel was most likely engraved in the Berlin workshop of Gottfried Spiller (1663–1728), who had trained as a gem-cutter. The engraving depicts a continuous scene of classical figures called putti (from Italian for “boys”), representing the classical Muses of dancing and playing instruments. Dancing putti have been associated with imagery relating to weddings and childbirth since the Renaissance, and print sources with this subject were widely available as inspiration for engravers. This pokal was most likely a princely gift; it was originally in the famous royal Saxon collections at Dessau Castle.
DescriptionPotash-lime glass, blown, applied, cut, and engraved.
On view
In Collection(s)