Lidded goblet in the shape of a gourd

The goblet is modeled after a gourd, a fruit that probably came to Europe around 1500 during the Spanish voyages of discovery. It is decorated with engraved grapes, pomegranates and other motifs. The herald figure and the crown suggest a princely owner or client. Nuremberg was the leading goldsmith's city in Germany at the beginning of the 16th century, and the masterpieces of the era include drinking vessels made by the Nuremberg goldsmith's family Krug.