Beaker (Humpen)
The enamel decoration on this beaker features four figures representing different social classes. Above each figure is a Latin inscription describing their role: priests pray, noblemen and knights fight, peasants labor, and merchants “devour all.” The antimerchant sentiment suggests that this work was made for the nobility, rather than a middle-class burgher market, and was likely used in one of the many drinking rituals central to social life in the 1600s.
Artwork Details
- Title: Beaker (Humpen)
- Date: 1612
- Culture: Bohemian
- Medium: Glass, enameled
- Dimensions: Overall: 11 1/4 × 5 in. (28.6 × 12.7 cm)
- Classification: Glass
- Credit Line: Munsey Fund, 1927
- Object Number: 27.185.15
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.