NAUTILUS SHELL CUP 301
T
his exquisite object is one
of the greatest treasures
in the Waddesdon
Bequest, a collection of
artefacts owned by Baron Ferdinand
Rothschild. It consists of a beautiful
chambered nautilus shell from Asia,
transformed into a goblet in the form of
a grotesque sea monster by Western
craftsmen. The shell probably came
from Guangzhou, China, where
its surface had already been
decorated with engravings of
dragons. In Europe, this type of shell was an
exotic novelty only available from the early
16th century, when the Portuguese began
trading with Guangzhou. The identity of the
Western artist or artists who worked on it is
unknown, but experts believe that the work
orginated in Padua, Italy. The decoration of
the cup reflects its nautical origins as well as
its cultural influences: in Chinese mythology,dragons lived in undersea caverns
and were revered as rain-bringers.
The beast is also similar to those
portrayed on contemporary European
maps, while the boy is Hercules –
identifiable by the serpent that he killed
in his cot – who later rescued a maiden
from a sea monster.
Items of this kind were much
sought after by Renaissance
connoisseurs, who displayed
them in their “Cabinets of
Curiosities”. These were
treasure stores of lavish or unusual objects,
which were designed to underline the
wealth, learning, and worldliness of
the collector. The cup’s owner, Baron
Rothschild, aimed to revive this idea with
the New Smoking Room, which he built
at his home, Waddesdon Manor. Here, he
liked to astound his business associates
by showing them his amazing collection
of antiques after dinner. Rothschild later
donated the contents of the room to the
British Museum, on condition that the
collection was kept intact.Key dates
1513–2015
150015501600180019001513 Jorge Álvares
lands at Guangzhou.
The Portuguese establish
a monopoly of trade
c.1550 European with Europe
goldsmiths add the
mounts to the shell1874–89 Baron
Ferdinand Rothschild
builds Waddesdon Manor1898 In the Waddesdon
Bequest, Ferdinand
Rothschild donates
around 300 objects
to the British Museum2015 A brand new gallery
devoted to the Waddesdon
Bequest opens at the
British Museum1891–96 The New
Smoking Room is created
at Waddesdon to house
the Baron’s collection200020501850Baron Ferdinand
RothschildThese... are an
extraordinary
way of mapping
the world
Edmund de Vaal
Artist and writer, describing the objects
in the Waddesdon BequestNautilus
shell cup
“Vanitas” still life from 1689 showing a nautilus cup
among other luxury possessions. The painting symbolized
the transience of wealthExample of a German
nautilus shell cup set in
silver gilt, c.1700△ Cutaway of a nautilus shell showing internal chambersc.16th century Chinese
artefacts begin to become
popular in Europe300-301_STO_Nautilus_Cup.indd 301 18/05/2016 18:16