Description |
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts houses a small vessel titled Festival Cup that is; made from rock crystal, metal, and enamel. The object file presents two conflicting dates; for the vessel, one in the Renaissance and one in the eighteenth-century. In this paper, I; propose a third alternative date for the piece and argue that the Festival Cup originated in; nineteenth-century Vienna. Using museum and auction house databases, I compare the; Festival Cup with other rock crystal and enamel objects made in either the Renaissance or; the nineteenth-century. In comparing these objects, I identify several design conventions; that espouse the Festival Cup to a specific era. Additionally, I use historical sources to; position the UMFA vessel by discussing the cultural contexts surrounding the production; of luxury domestic goods during the Renaissance and the nineteenth-century. In doing so,; I am able to suggest a new date for the piece and add to the body of research on European; material culture. |