Fragment of a beaker with image of a bird, ca. 1250–1325
Decolourized glass, enameled
(H x W x D)6,3 × 3,9 × 1,6 cm
Place of originMurano
About the workWith few exceptions, glassware from the Middle Ages, namely the period between the sixth and fifteenth centuries, has only been preserved in shards. Sometimes there are enough fragments to be able to reconstruct the original vessel. These two shards belong to an extensively produced range of enamel-painted cups that were probably made on Murano near Venice and distributed throughout Europe. Nevertheless, many questions remain unanswered: which bird is shown here and what was the significance of this depiction?
AccessionKarl Amendt collection, permanent loan since 1988
Inventory numberLP 2010-3
