Nereid Stoup With Tridacna Shell 19th Century

19th century stoup from Nuremberg Representing a Nereid in silvered bronze riding a dolphin balancing on its head a tridacna shell Rests on an onyx base In very good condition Height of the bronze alone: 16 cm This type of object refers to to objects that belonged to a Wunderkammer as it combines natural and man-made wonders, combined in a fanciful composition to create amazement. Kept in the Wunderkammern of European leaders, gold and silver nereids and tritons supported the Nautilus studded with diamonds, emeralds and rubies, often serving as diplomatic gifts. Among the goldsmiths of the Wunderkammer those of Nuremberg and Augsburg stood out, in particular the workshops of Jamnitzer and Gross. The Gross'Äô basin with nereid and tridacna shells is preserved at the Kunsthistorisches Vienna.