File:BLW Betrothal Goblet.jpg

English: Goblet

1475-1500
Italy, Venice
Glass, enamelled and gilded

Venetian gilt and enamelled glass was an expensive and relatively rare commodity often separately listed in the owner's inventory or account books. This highly decorated goblet shows the profile portraits of a man and a woman. Although no specific contemporary references to their particular purpose is known, glasses of this type have usually been understood as gifts relating to courtship and marriage. Marriage was certainly a major event in the life-cycle of Renaissance citizens, and a period during which huge expenses were made for luxury household goods.

The glassmakers of Venice had an excellent and wide spread reputation for high-quality glass and fine workmanship in gilding and enamelling. This goblet is an exceptionally fine example of their work. Luxury goblets like this had an important function in showing off the wealth and refinement of the owner and would have been used only at rare and special occasions. Even at high-society wedding banquets, the guests would have drunk from simple, colourless glass beakers, but due to their fragility almost none of these have survived.