FEATURES ARCHIVE

Sailing By: The Nuremberg Nef
From the early 16th century to the mid 17th century Nuremberg, Germany was one of the primary cities in Europe for silver craft. A combination of strict guild regulations and highly skilled artisans attracted patrons from far and wide. The detail, from the masts and ropes to the enamel sailors made nefs such as this German Silver-Gilt and Cold-Painted Enamel Nef to be sold in the June Centuries of Style sale, a tour de force for the silversmith as a craftsman and consequently, a highly desirable object for noble and royal households.

Nef means ‘ship’ in Old French and intricate pieces such as this first came into use in the 13th century. They had a variety of uses, although these all centred around the dining experience. One such use was as a drinking vessel and the wheels on the base of the ship, as seen here, would have enabled the ship to be passed around to guests seated at the dining table. Salt was also extremely valuable from the Middle Ages onwards and nefs may have been used to hold this precious natural resource; the proximity to which the nef as a salt cellar was placed next to a guest was indicative of their status. In time, the Nef became purely ornamental but it has nevertheless remained a showpiece for the dining table.