Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the XVIth and XVIIth centuries

Mountain-shaped figured censer with four drawers (front view)
Germany, Hamburg. The first quarter of the XVIIth century. Maker: D. Utermarke. Silver. Casting, embossing, engraving, gilding.
Hand-wash jug - nautilus cup
Belgium, Antwerp. Mid. XVIth century. Gold, clam-shell (nautilus pompilius), silver, precious stones, pearls (margaritifera margaritifera), glass. Embossing, relief engraving, casting, pouncing.
Mountain-shaped figured censer with four drawers (foreshortened)
Germany, Hamburg. The first quarter of the XVIIth century. Maker: D. Utermarke. Silver. Casting, embossing, engraving, gilding.

June, 23, 2007 - September, 16, 2007

Belgium, Brussels, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts

Organized by:: The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Moscow Kremlin Museums

Mountain-shaped figured censer with four drawers (front view) The exhibition represents over 300 items from all the world, telling us about the cross-cultural dialogue that followed the establishment of Portugal's world trading network in the XVIth and XVIIth centuries. The sections of the display are dedicated to various countries, formed the commercial empire of Portugal, which soon reached to Africa, India, China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Brazil.

Within the exhibition the Kremlin Museums represent 2 masterpieces of goldsmithery. The figured censer, executed in Hamburg in the first quarter of the XVIIth century by maker D. Utermarke was bought for the royal collection in 1628 from the king of Denmark Christian IV's treasury. The Belgian nautilus cup of the middle of the XVIth century was executed of clam-shell and silver and reflected the European vogue for exotics.