Beaker

Hans Greiff

ca. 1480 · Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover · Medieval Art

Miniature golden ibexes serve as the feet of the goblet fashioned from ibex horn. The goldsmith cleverly placed the characteristic ridges of the horn so that they provided natural hand grips for the drinker. Did this allow the owner to imbibe to excess without losing hold of the beaker? Underlying this artistic nod to Europe’s prized mountain goat is the medieval belief that ibex horn—like the horn of the unicorn—possessed magical and medicinal properties, including the ability to detect poison. As a result, the alpine ibex was hunted to near extinction, much like the rhinoceros today.

Artist

Hans Greiff

Date

ca. 1480

Medium

Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover

Culture

German

Department

Medieval Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917