Northern German Sycamore Maple ‘Wunderkammer’ Standing Covered Cup

Period: 1600-1700

Origin: Germany

Medium: Sycamore

Literature: A ‘tour de force’ of the court turner there are examples of these curious vessels in the Royal Danish Kunstkammer in Copenhagen, but are otherwise very rarely seen. Perhaps intended as precious spice cups they are more of a work of art than objects seriously meant for use. The accuracy of the individual turning and the extreme thinness of the nest of cups required great skill. In Joseph Moxon’s 1696 book of ‘Mechanick Exercises’ he describes engine and oval turning in detail, whilst the 1701 French author Charles Plumier in ‘L’Art de Tourner en Perfection’ illustrates the processes and nearly all the designs found on 17th century work and gives copious instructions for executing his ‘elite craft’.