Tankard with Lid and scenes of Judith, Lucretia, and Venus
Artist
Artist Unknown, Germany
Physical Description
The body of the tankard is decorated with two narrow bands of gilded abstract vegetal ornament around the neck and base, separated by a wider band that features three repoussé medallions alternating with three bosses. Each medallion depicts a standing nude female: one of the nudes appears in an interior holding a dagger to her chest; another holds a sword and a man's head and stands beside a female companion; the third holds an elongated arrow with a blindfolded cupid at her feet. The cast handle consists of a clawed bird's foot grasping a ball at the base, followed by a satyr mask, a bound female nude, and, surmounting the handle, the bust of a warrior. The lid, a later addition, bears a wreath with a series of initials and the date 1639.
