Beaker with cover 1665 - 1674

Editor: We’re looking at a stunning glass Beaker with cover, created sometime between 1665 and 1674 by Hermann Schwinger. It just radiates opulence to me – it feels like holding liquid light. What strikes you most when you see this? Curator: Liquid light, I love that! For me, it's the incredible tension between fragility and status. Think about it – this delicate glass, painstakingly engraved, intended to hold something mundane, probably alcohol, yet elevated to a symbol of power. What stories this beaker could tell, eh? Did you notice the coat-of-arms? Editor: I did! It's so intricate, it almost disappears into the leafy decorations around it. Do you think the family who owned it would’ve felt self-conscious, drinking from something this extravagant? Curator: Self-conscious? Perhaps, but also intensely proud. It’s a bold statement, "look at me!" Baroque art is all about embracing drama. The whole thing whispers ambition and artistry. Editor: The leaves remind me of the kind of illustrations you'd find in an old fairytale. Is there something intentional about pairing nature with something so clearly aristocratic? Curator: Absolutely! It could be a visual representation of their dominion – nature bent to their will. Or perhaps, a yearning for simpler times, a fashionable nod towards pastoral life while living in gilded cages. I see both possibilities, do you? Editor: It makes me consider how everyday objects can be these incredible time capsules of aspiration. Looking at it from a different angle really gave me an entirely new perspective. Curator: Wonderful! Now, imagine holding it... feeling the cool glass... perhaps hearing a toast!