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Lot Essay
The distinctive combination of carving by leaving part of the shell in relief and engraving heightened by black ink, is found on a number of nautilus cups, most of which are Dutch and from the early to mid 17th century. Perhaps the most similar example to the present cup is one on an auricular foot and stem by the Delft maker, Willem Claez. Brugman, hallmarked for 1651 (see J.W. Frederiks, Dutch Silver, vol. IV., The Hague, 1961, p. 48, cat. no. 96 and pl. 110 and H-U. Mette, der Nautiluspokal, Munich, 1995, p. 212, cat. no. 125, fig. 202). This also has carved scrolls in relief interspersed at intervals with delicately engraved insects. These have been attributed to J. Belliken after prints by Jacob Hofnagel published in 1592 and D.I. Hofnagel's Diversae Insectarum volatilium icones ad vivum depictae per celeberrimum pictrem issued in 1630.
Frederiks identified J. Belliken as Joachim Belliken but more recent research by W.H. van Seters suggests that the engraver is likely to be Jan Belkien (1636-circa 1665) or his father Jean (circa 1597/98-1636) (H-U. Mette, op. cit. pp. 211-212, cat. nos. 123 and 124).
It is interesting to note that the vertical straps on the Brugman example also partly obscures one of the insects, possibly indicating that the vertical straps on both are replaced as is frequently the case with nautilus cups.
Frederiks identified J. Belliken as Joachim Belliken but more recent research by W.H. van Seters suggests that the engraver is likely to be Jan Belkien (1636-circa 1665) or his father Jean (circa 1597/98-1636) (H-U. Mette, op. cit. pp. 211-212, cat. nos. 123 and 124).
It is interesting to note that the vertical straps on the Brugman example also partly obscures one of the insects, possibly indicating that the vertical straps on both are replaced as is frequently the case with nautilus cups.