Coconut goblet, 1580–1600
MediumCopper, beaten, gilded
(H x W x D)30,5 × 9,5 × 9,5 cm
About the workSince the fifteenth century, the use of foreign materials such as coconuts, ivory and ebony was considered fashionable and prestigious. At the same time, objects made from these materials conveyed an impression of the “new” worlds that sailors and explorers were introducing to Europe. This goblet with decorations in the shape of fruit, humans and animals would have been intended for ceremonial purposes. However, such pieces were usually made of silver. The relatively cheap copper gilding was frowned upon by the craftsmen’s guilds, as this was often done with fraudulent intent.
AccessionAcquired 1927 from the Kunstgewerbemuseum
Provenance[...]; bis 24.12.1897 Ferdinand Böninger (?), Düsseldorf; 24.12.1897 - 1927 ehem. Kunstgewerbemuseum Düsseldorf (1883-1927) erworben durch Schenkung von Böninger; 1927 übernommen aus dem Kunstgewerbemuseum
Inventory numberP 17125
