Drinking cup

Art Historical Context

This exquisite drinking cup, crafted from rock crystal in the 16 or 17th century, hails from German or Bohemian workshops, regions renowned for their mastery of hardstone carving during the and early Baroque periods. Measuring just 5⅝ × 3¾ inches (14.3 × 9.5 cm), its compact form belies the extraordinary skill required to shape the durable, translucent quartz—a material symbolizing purity and luxury, often reserved for elite patrons like nobility and collectors. The cup's surface likely features carved faces, a motif common in these virtuoso works that showcased the artist's precision with di...