Imagine the rock crystal from which this pitcher was carved! It must have been a huge chunk of rock. This ewer is quite different from the delicate, sensuous pieces you have seen up till now. It’s called The Dragon Pitcher because the design on the lid resembles the head of a dragon. It’s magnificently worked with gemstones – peridots (pronounced: peri-dohs), amethysts, turquoises and garnets. It was created by the artist Dionysio Miseroni in his Prague workshop between 1653 and 1656.
Miseroni’s family came from Milan. Remember the rock crystal galley from the Saracchi workshop? Well, the Miseroni workshop was a comparable family business – and just as respected. However, Dionysio Miseroni distanced himself from the delicate style of his father, Ottavio, who had worked for the Emperor Rudoph the Second.
This pitcher – like other works by Dionysio – reflects the development of taste in mid-seventeenth century Europe. After the Thirty Years War, it seems that people were more impressed by rich decoration than by subtle form. They were enthralled by precious materials. This pitcher was probably commissioned by the Emperor Ferdinand the Third.
- Location & Dating
- Mount: from around 1660 in the style of Samuel Klemm from Freiberg
- Material & Technique
- Rock crystal, silver, partially gilt, various gem stones and cameos
- Dimenions
- H 42,2 cm, B mit Henkel 25,4 cm, Dm Fuß 17,4 cm
- Museum
- Grünes Gewölbe
- Inventory number
- V 183