Lot Essay
The finial of this cup depicts a miner wearing his apron or Bergleder that served to keep the cold and moisture when sitting, with his hat, pickaxe and basket. This cup is one from a series of ornamental or drinking cups with illustrations of mining scenes, the first list of which was compiled by Marc Rosenberg in Geschichte des Goldschmiedekunst auf technischer Grundlage, Osnabrück, 1972 (first published in 1910-25) and later added to in Der Bergbau in der Kunst, edited by Heinrich Winkelmann et al., Essen, 1958 which includes such prestigious cups as the Rappolstein cup dated 1543 and the Imhoff Cup by Hans Petzoldt, which features chased mining scenes.