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Treasury (Schatzkammer)

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Ostrich egg cup (ostrich egg, silver-gilt,
enamel; height 29 cm); probably French
or South German, around 1400

The body of the cup, which comes from the former Benedictine monastery of St Veit at Herrieden near Ansbach in Franconia, consists of an ostrich egg. Ostrich eggs were highly prized as exotic rarities both in the secular world of Kunstkammer and cabinets of curiosities and in ecclesiastical contexts. The Gothic mount of the present cup, with its spiral cap, chain and adoring angels, suggests that it was used as a reliquary or as a container for sacred liquids, such as water from the river Jordan or holy ointments.

Please click on a picture of your choice to get an enlarged version:

Crown of the kings
of Bavaria

 

Toison of the Golden Fleece

 

Reliquary of Emperor Henry II

 

Drinking game "Diana with stag"

 

Cross of Queen Gisela

 

Travelling set

 

"Henry Chalice"

 

Statuette of St George

 

Crucifix

 

Two small globes

 

Crown of an English Queen

 

Ornamental jug

 

Sapphire Cup

 

Pendulum clock

 

Ostrich egg cup

 

Ivory chest

 

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