Page 119 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)

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works of art of the early sixteenth century, as carved and mounted as cups (see cat. n); so 8. Nuremberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum,
the term Calicut was used generically for all the were shells (see cat. 9). Altogether Diirer Albrecht Diirer. 1471-1971 (Nuremberg, 1971), 304-
44
newly discovered countries. "Calicut objects" gathered a formidable collection of curiosities, 305, no. 569; Jean Michel Massing, "Diirer's
are mentioned all through Diirer's diary. There most of them probably from Africa and Asia— Dreams," Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld
Institutes
49 (1986), 242, n.
26.
we read that Lorenz Sterck gave Durer a so many that he had to ask Wenzeslaus Lind, 9. Strauss i974a, 1:232-233, no. 1494/17; also Nurem-
wooden shield from Calicut and one of light Vicar-General of the Saxon congregation of the berg 1971, 302, no. 560.
45
wood reeds. Sterck had probably acquired, or Augustines, to help him bring them back to 10. Strauss 19743, 4:2018-2023, nos. 1521/11-1521/13;
rather been given these objects by Portuguese Nuremberg: "I gave the new Vicarius the great Fedja Anzelewsky and Hans Mielke, Staatliche
Museen
preussischer Kulturbesitz.
merchants; the same is true for the "ivory whis- turtle shell, the fish shield, the long pipe, the Kritischer Katalog der Zeichnungen Albrecht Diirer.
(Berlin,
1984),
tle and a beautiful piece of porcelain/' which, as long lance, the fish-fins, and the two little casks 101-103.
46
we have seen, he also gave to Dlirer. Rodrigo of lemon and capers to take home for me." 54 11. Loisel 1912,1:222-225.
Fernandez d'Almada presented Diirer with Cali- Diirer's activities in the Netherlands, sketch- 12. Koreny 1988,170-171, nos. 58-583 (see also
55
cut feathers and six Indian nuts (coconuts). ing people from foreign countries as well as 160-161).
Camels and dromedaries are also commonly found
Later Diirer also received from him "two Cali- exotic animals, collecting any testimony he 13. in scenes of the Adoration of the Magi. Diirer drew
cut cloths, one of them in silk..., an orna- could find of the newly discovered lands, an oriental with a dromedary in the Book of Hours
mented cap, a green jug with myrobalans, and a reflects an interest quite unique in its intensity of Maximilian: Strauss 19743, 3:1538—1539, no.
branch of cedar tree, worth ten florins alto- and breadth among artists of his time. It indi- 1515/32; Walter L. Strauss, The Book of Hours of
gether/' On another occasion (16 March 1521) cates that he was as much a man of his time as the Emperor Maximilian the First (New York,
8
Rodrigo have him six large Indian coconuts, a any of the explorers, and it helps to explain why *974)/ 4-
very fine stem of coral, and two large Portu- he is the only artist known to have recorded his 14. Abel Fontoura da Costa, Deambulations of the Rhi-
of
noceros (Ganda)
Miziifar,
King of
Cambaia,
from
47
guese florins. Even Diirer's host, Jobst Plank- admiration for the Aztec treasures sent by 1514 to 1516 (Lisbon, 1937); Donald Frederick Lach,
felt, offered him exotica, an Indian coconut and Cortes from Mexico. 56 A Century of Wonder: The Visual Arts f vol. 11.1 of
48
an old Turkish whip. From the diary we also Asia in the Making of Europe (Chicago and London,
learn that a Herr Gilbert, of whom we know NOTES 1970), 158-172; T. H. Clarke, The Rhinoceros from
Diirer to Stubbs.
1515-1799 (London, 1986),
16-23;
nothing else, gave him "a small Calicut round 1. For Antwerp and its role in the spice trade, see Jan also L. C. Rookmaker, Bibliography of the Rhi-
shield made of fish-skin, and two gloves with Albert Goris, Etude sur les colonies marchandes noceros (Rotterdam, 1983), 15-17.
49
which the natives there fight/' A plaited hat of meridionales (Portugais, Espagnols, Italiens) a 15. Angelo de Gubernatis, Storia del viaggiatori italiani
alder bark( ?) may have come from some foreign Anvers de 1488 a 1567 (Louvain, 1925), who dis- nelle Inde Orientali (Livorno, 1875), 389-392; Lach
land; the Turkish cloth which he received from cusses the imports and exports, including many 1970, 2.1:161-162.
East,
50
Tomaso Bombelli certainly did. In Zeeland, exotic products; for medieval trade with the Moyen- 16. Strauss 19743, 3:1584-1585, no. 1515/17; John Row-
lands, The Age
of Diirer and Holbein:
du commerce au
Histoire
German
Wilhelm Heyd,
Diirer recorded that Master Hugo, Alexander Age (Leipzig, 1885); for exoticism in the arts, Gotz Drawings, 1400-1550 (London, 1988), 92-94, no. 65,
Imhof, and Friedrich, the Hirschvogels' servant, Pochat, Der Exotismus wahrend des Mittelalters und ill.; Giinther Pass, "Durer und die wissenschaftliche
each gave him an Indian coconut that they had der Renaissance (Stockholm, 1970). Tierdarstellung der Renaisssnce," in Albrecht Diirer
won at play; from his host he received a sprout- 2. Jan Veth and Samuel Muller, Albrecht DUrers und die Tier- und Pflanzenstudien der Renaissance:
(Jahrbuch
ing bulb. Others, such as the commercial agent Niederlandische Reise, 2 vols. (Berlin and Utrecht, Symposium Wien 82/83, der kunsthistorischen Samm-
1986—1987)
(1989), 59—64.
lungen in
1918), 182-201, have a very thorough chapter on
of the Hochstatter in Portugal, provided natur- Diirer as a collector. 17. Psolo Giovio, Elogia virorum bellica virtute illus-
alia: "In return for the three books which I gave 3. Hans Rupprich, Diirers schriftlicher Nachlass, 3 trium, veris imaginibus supposita (Florence, 1551),
him, Herr Lazarus von Ravensburg has given vols. (Berlin, 1956-1969), 1:155; J Albert Goris 206.
an
me: a great fish-scale, five snail-shells, four and Georges Marlier, Albrecht Diirer. Diary of His 18. For Hsnno, see Lach 1970, 2.1:136—144.
medals of silver, five of copper, two little dried Journey to the Netherlands. 1520-1521 (London, 19. Martin Luther, Werke, kritische Gesamtausgabe,
fishes, a white coral, four cane arrows, and 1971), 64; see also my essay "Early European Briefwechsel, 18 vols. (Weimar, 1930-1985), 6:289;
G. Scheil, Die Tierwelt
in
Images of America/' note i, in this catalogue.
Bildersprache
in Luthers
51
another white coral." Diirer also bought vari- 4. Rupprich 1956,1:155; Goris and Marlier 1971, 63. seinen reformatorisch-historischen und polemischen
ous drugs —some of them probably to cure the 5. Walter L. Strauss, The Complete Drawings of deutschen Schriften (Bernberg, 1897), 19.
illness contracted in the Low Countries — dyes Albrecht Diirer, 6 vols. (New York, 1974), 4:1932- 20. Strauss 19743, 4:2180-2181, no. 1522/1.
and perfumes. He acquired various textiles, 1933, no. 1520/15; Fedja Anzelewsky, "A propos de 21. Vslentin Kipsrsky, L'histoire du morse (Annsles
including calico and silk, furs, even fishskins, la topographic du Pare de Bruxelles et du Quai de Acsdemise Scienmrum Fennicse, Ser.B.73,3) (Hel-
Royaux des
1'Escaut a Anvers de Durer," Musees
sinki, 1952), 46-48.
which were used as a high-quality substitute for Beaux-Arts. Bulletin 6 (1957), 87-107. 22. Konrad Gesner, Icones animalium acjuatilium
leather. As for the shells, dried fishes, squid, 6. Paul Saintenoy, Les arts et les artistes a la Cour de (Zurich, 1560), 178-179; Kiparsky 1952, 46-48. It
and possibly some of the buffalo horns, these Bruxelles. Leur role dans la construction du Chateau cannot be excluded that Bishop Walkendorf sent it
must have been for his collection of curiosities, ducal de Brabant sur le Coudenberg de 1120 a 1400 vis Antwerp, where Diirer could hsve sketched it.
Pare de Bruxelles (Memoires
et dans la formation
du
his Wunderkammer; also the more precious publics par la Classe des Beaux-Arts de 1'Academie Diirer's indicstion that the walrus "was caught in
the Netherlsnds se3," however, seems to imply the
items, the glassware rings, precious stones, and royale de Belgique, 2 serie, n) (Brussels, 1932), 72- contrary.
e
the sprouting bulb. Diirer may have resold 77- 23. Rupprich 1956,1:162-163; Goris 3nd Msrlier 1971,
some of these items; buffalo horns were prob- 7. Harry David, Die Darstellung des Lowen bei 76-77 snd 79.
52
ably not kept with hunting trophies but Albrecht Diirer. Inaugural-Dissertation... Halle- 24. Werner Timm, "Der gestrandete Wai, eine motiv-
mounted as drinking horns (see cat. 8) or even Wittenberg (Halle, 1909), 79; Fritz Koreny, Albrecht kundliche Studie," Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.
(1962), 76-93; Carus
of
the
Forschungen
Diirer and
the Animal and Plant Studies
und Berichte 3-4
used as raw materials for items such as the ring Renaissance (Boston, 1988), 160. For lions kept in Sterne, "Walfischstrandungen in ihrem Einfluss auf
purchased by Diirer in Brussels and the ink Germany in Diirer's time, Gustave Loisel, Histoire Kunst und Poesie," Pan i (1895-1896), 165-171; Van
stand he sent to Pirckheimer. Coconuts, which des menageries de I'antiquite a nos jours, 3 vols. der Grinten 1962,149-156.
were imported by the Portuguese, were often (Paris, 1912), 1:231-236. 25. Luther 1931, 2:559-560; Timm 1961, 82.
Il8 CIRCA 1492