{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156625"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156625/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CA2586/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CA2586/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CA2586","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA2677","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA2623","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA2587","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA2584","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA2585","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O156625/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156625","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.58-2008","objectType":"Cup","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert <i>Schatzkammer</i> is one of the few collections of its kind formed in the late 20th century. The <i>Schatzkammer</i>, or treasury, was a new concept in the 16th century. It referred to a special chamber in which the most precious artefacts of a princely collection were housed.  Gold and jewelled objects were mounted alongside exotic natural curiosities, including rock crystal, ostrich eggs or shells. Turban sea snails are found in the waters off Australia and the East Indies. Highliy prized, their polished shells were encased in silver and gold. Together, these objects demonstrated not only the wonders of nature and the technical achievements of the artist, but also the intellect and culture of the patron. \n\nThe marine figures, juxtaposition of disparate elements and complete use of all available decorative space on the cup's stem and mounts are Mannerist in style. Originally developed by Italian painters in Florence and at Fontainebleau during the 1530s, the Mannerist style soon spread to northern Europe. \r\n\r\nSir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes.  Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.","physicalDescription":"A turban shell cup with silver-gilt mounts; the stem fashioned as a man riding a sea monster upon a waisted plinth. The foot of the cup is in the form of a tortoise surmounting four naturalistic feet. The exterior rim is chased with circular patterns and, above, plain tongues enclose a piece of polished turban shell, which is carved to resemble the shell of a tortoise. Four braided straps cross the shell connecting the perimeter of the tortoise to the central stem section. The cup is formed from the turban shell which has four straps; the three in front in the form of figures, masks and volutes all terminating in lion masks. The rear vertebrally decorated terminates in foliate decoration. The applied silver-gilt rim undulates in order to accommodate the natural shape of the shell and give an even surface at top, is flat-chased with scroll-and-foliate decoration.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver-gilt","id":"x37998"},{"text":"shell","id":"AAT11829"}],"techniques":[{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"},{"text":"polishing","id":"AAT53867"},{"text":"mounting","id":"AAT81370"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silver-gilt and polished shell","categories":[{"text":"Drinking","id":"THES48965"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mannerism","id":"AAT21144"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2009CA2586","2009CA2677","2009CA2623","2009CA2587","2009CA2584","2009CA2585"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"72A","id":"THES413998"},"free":"","case":"CA006","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"cup","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"},{"place":{"text":"Antwerp (city)","id":"x28724"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1585","earliest":"1580-01-01","latest":"1589-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"25.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"17.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"13.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"1300","unit":"g","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured 01/02/24 IW","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Provenance\r\nAcquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1987.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver-gilt and polished shell, London or Antwerp, Belgium, ca.1585.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Hayward, J.F.  <u>Virtuoso goldsmiths and the triumph of Mannerism, 1540-1620</u>.  London: Sotheby Parke Bernet Publications; New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1976, pl. 661."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Schroder, Timothy. <u>The Gilbert collection of gold and silver: recent acquisitions</u>. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1988, cat. no. A.."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Minter, Alice et al. <u>Masterpieces in Miniature: Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing</u>, 2021, p.26, cat. 9"}],"production":"England or Flanders","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"(Gallery 70, case 6)\r\n3. Turban shell cup\r\nAbout 1585\r\nTurban sea snails are found in waters off Australia and the East Indies. Their shells were exported to centres across Europe where local goldsmiths would create bespoke mounts. The transformed shells, encased in silver and gold, were highly prized in treasuries throughout mainland Europe.\r\nEngland or Flanders\r\nTurban shell and gilded silver\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.58-2008","date":{"text":"16/11/2016","earliest":"2016-11-16","latest":"2016-11-16"}}],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.58-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"58","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"SG 245"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.706"},{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"SG 189"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2025PK5048","2017JU7472","2017KM9026","2018LC0191","2019LP3404","2019LV2984","2019LX0228","2019LV9062"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-18","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}