Beaker

Attributed to Hans Greiff German

On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 16

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.

Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German

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Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German
Beaker, Attributed to Hans Greiff (German, active ca. 1470–died 1516 Ingolstadt), Horn, gilded silver mounts and cover, German

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