Bowl

The flower blossoms and twisting foliage engraved on this bowl were first outlined with a diamond-tipped stylus and then shaded to suggest the effect of light. This naturalistic treatment of the flowers and leaves reflects a new interest in realism and botanical accuracy that emerged in the early 1600s. Botanical prints and illustrated books provided models for ornamental artists working in a range of media including glass, silver, furniture, and woven and embroidered textiles. The technique of diamond-point engraving was revived in the 1500s in Venice, Italy, a center of European glassmaking and the Indian diamond trade.