Cup

Adam van Vianen (c. 1568/1569-1627), Utrecht, 1625, silver

While this late masterpiece by Adam van Vianen no longer has actual auricular ornament, it embodies the ambiguity so characteristic of the kwab style. A female water creature looks into the enormous shell, which is borne by two wrestling mermen. The cup appears to be in motion, the proportions defy logic and the creatures dissolve into the shell.

  • Artwork typecup
  • Object numberBK-16093
  • Dimensionsheight 18.0 cm x width 15.5 cm x depth 12.0 cm, weight 462 gr, diameter 9.0 cm