Mathis Zündt

Interlocking stemmed drinking vessels were luxury silver items made in the Renaissance. In this meticulous design, Zündt, a goldsmith-engraver active in Nuremberg, conveys the sculptural quality of the vessel by paying close attention to the play of light on its surface, emphasizing the relief decoration. His symmetrical but fluid ornamentation combines elements of ancient Roman grotesques with so-called Moresque motifs of Islamic origin.

The print comes from a series of 31 designs published for the use of “goldsmiths, sculptors, painters, and virtually every one of those makers who use this artful and poetic genre of images for their different works.”