Master with the lion head in a shield: A new attribution of the ornamental cup of Veere (c. 1547-1548)

Abstract

The city hall of Veere, in the Dutch province of Zeeland, preserves an extraordinary fire-gilded silver ornamental cup on foot. This precious object, depicting Maximilian of Egmont (1509-1548) crossing the river Rhine and arriving with his troops in Ingolstadt, was made circa 1547-1548 to commemorate the Battle of Mühlberg (1547) and to honor Maximilian’s pivotal role in the victory. His cousin Maximilian of Burgundy (1514-1558) inherited the cup in 1548, and, in turn, donated it to the city of Veere. The cup’s ceremonial status continued through the centuries and is presented to the Dutch monarchs during official city visits to this day. Yet, despite its cultural significance, the place of production, atelier, and particular silversmith has long been a topic of debate. Notably, the cup of Veere lacks hallmarks – a quality label for the technical skills and the correct alloy, which indicates a date, provenance, and master. Neither is the piece mentioned in any known archival records. Therefore, previous scholarly attributions of the cup to a specific city, atelier, or maker, relied mostly on stylistic features. This article, however, examines the making process and techniques used, revealed by the dismantling of the piece in 2018. Detailed technical examination of cast elements and chased decoration have uncovered the signature moves of the maker. The stem of the cup is adorned with cast lion heads and is composed of a chased fruit basket. Identical elements are identified in the so-called Founders’ cup (Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge), which bears the Antwerp hallmark of the years 1541-1542 and a master stamp depicting a lion’s head in a shield. Comparative analysis and up-close visual inspection offer a new perspective on the making process of the cup of Veere, proposing Antwerp as its production place, and assigning the anonymous ‘Master with the lion head in a shield’ as the maker of the cup. In putting forward this case study of early modern gold and silverware, it also demonstrates the key role that research on craftsmanship and technique may play in reaching definitive conclusions regarding the origin of significant objects.