Lamp

This lamp is a rare example of Renaissance Milan jewellery. The body and lid are made of five pieces of rock crystal (a variety of quartz), worked separately and united by silver gilt bands. The parts in rock crystal composing the base, stem and lid are carved, while the body, worked as a single piece, has the edges folded inwards and two lion heads at its extremities. Because of the quality of its workmanship and the complexity of the composition, the lamp has been attributed to the Milanese workshop of the Saracchi family. Very skilful in carving rock crystal and semi-precious stones, they worked for many important European clients in the second half of the sixteenth century.