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Descriptif du lot
Nefs are the most visually impressive form of Renaissance drinking vessels and examples that integrate exotic materials such as shells, ivory, amber or rock crystal are amongst the rarest with most held in princely kunstkammers such as the Green Vault in Dresden or museums.
A METAPHORIC CELEBRATORY CUP
The term 'nef 'derives from the Latin navis, meaning 'ship'. As in ecclesiastical architecture, the nave symbolises the Church as a vessel of salvation. As secular objects, nefs were placed during princely banquets beside the ruler or host to hold napkins, cutlery, and other dining implements. In Germanic culture, the nef became a celebratory cup in the form of a ship within the tradition of drinking games known as Trinkspiel. The 16th and 17th centuries were the golden age of hanaps in a variety of forms, which became essential pieces on the festive tables and buffets of wealthy families and guilds. Indeed the nef became an important symbol of the merchants, whose wealth largely derived from maritime trade; it was therefore a logical and ideal shape for a hanap, and by extension, a symbol of the owner’s role in modern commerce.
BREMEN: CITY OF MERCHANTS
Bremen was an important Hanseatic port city with a rich merchant population. The Schütting, the city’s merchant and tradesmen guild hall, located across from the town hall in Bremen's market square and the second most important building in the city, displays symbols of the city's mercantile and maritime history. The gable features a medieval cargo ship, known as a Kogge, with Neptune above and two shields beneath, one with the key representing St Peter, adopted by the city in 1366 after its liberation from the occupation by Prince-Archbishop Albert II. This Nef presents all the right attributes to suggest that it could have been made for the city guild to be used for banquets and as a symbol of wealth and power.
Comparative literature:
F. M. Kammel, ed., Traumschiffe der Renaissance, Munich, 2024.
A METAPHORIC CELEBRATORY CUP
The term 'nef 'derives from the Latin navis, meaning 'ship'. As in ecclesiastical architecture, the nave symbolises the Church as a vessel of salvation. As secular objects, nefs were placed during princely banquets beside the ruler or host to hold napkins, cutlery, and other dining implements. In Germanic culture, the nef became a celebratory cup in the form of a ship within the tradition of drinking games known as Trinkspiel. The 16th and 17th centuries were the golden age of hanaps in a variety of forms, which became essential pieces on the festive tables and buffets of wealthy families and guilds. Indeed the nef became an important symbol of the merchants, whose wealth largely derived from maritime trade; it was therefore a logical and ideal shape for a hanap, and by extension, a symbol of the owner’s role in modern commerce.
BREMEN: CITY OF MERCHANTS
Bremen was an important Hanseatic port city with a rich merchant population. The Schütting, the city’s merchant and tradesmen guild hall, located across from the town hall in Bremen's market square and the second most important building in the city, displays symbols of the city's mercantile and maritime history. The gable features a medieval cargo ship, known as a Kogge, with Neptune above and two shields beneath, one with the key representing St Peter, adopted by the city in 1366 after its liberation from the occupation by Prince-Archbishop Albert II. This Nef presents all the right attributes to suggest that it could have been made for the city guild to be used for banquets and as a symbol of wealth and power.
Comparative literature:
F. M. Kammel, ed., Traumschiffe der Renaissance, Munich, 2024.