Ewer in the shape of a triton and a nereid c. 1620

This ewer was made in Augsburg, Germany, between 1575 and 1585 by Johannes Lencker, from silver. The ewer is fashioned as a sculptural group featuring a Triton and a Nereid, figures from classical mythology, riding on a fantastical sea creature. The use of mythological figures reflects the Renaissance interest in classical antiquity. Augsburg, during this period, was a center of artistic production and trade, witnessing the rise of wealthy merchant families who became patrons of the arts. Objects like this ewer would have been commissioned by wealthy individuals to display their affluence and cultured taste. The incorporation of mythological themes might also reflect a broader Humanist intellectual movement which looked to antiquity for inspiration and legitimation. To understand this ewer better, we might research the social history of Augsburg, the biographies of its wealthy merchant families, and the circulation of classical imagery in Renaissance Europe. Only in this way can we understand its full cultural and historical significance.