Anton Schweinberger | 1602
The pitcher is a masterpiece of Prague gold work from Emperor Rudolf II's time. Schweinberger, who had been employed at the Prague court since 1587, went far beyond the conventional task of mounting a rare item of naturalia. The nut had been discovered as flotsam in the Maldives, and was considered a marine species. That explains the use of marine motifs throughout the work. Schweinberger inscribed his sculptural design in a rhombus, the diagonals of which run horizontally along the edge of the nut and vertically through the lateral clasps and the axis of the foot. Fluid transitions smooth over the change of directions. Two tritons sitting back to back support the vessel, with their stooped heads and extended arms shifting the accent to the horizontal of the boat-shaped body. The transition is echoed by the busy group on the lid, which show Neptune riding on a hippocampus (trident missing). The heavy scrollwork and auricular work of the beak and handle keeps the balance in the other two corners of the rhombus. Surfaces alternating between gold and silver enhance the multi-layered effect and at the same time clarify the blurred boundaries between abstraction and figurative design. For example, the auricular changes on the handle on the back into a cowering creature moving across the shoulders of the vessel with its flippers. Schweinberger succeeded in creating a work of inner monumentality; he created monument to Neptune, marking it with his full name under the base. The pitcher is the sole surviving work which can definitely be attributed to him; it was also the last work that he completed. With its sheer artistry, this 'setting' goes far beyond what is normally considered craftwork. This is an autonomous work of art for the imperial Kunstkammer. The subtle surface reliefs of the nut, which depict pairs of marine deities, were the work of imperial carver Nikolaus Pfaff.