Wenzel Jamnitzer

The family later moved to Neurenberg, where the young Jamnitzer probably learned silversmithing from his father. He proved to be a talented artist with a unique style combining classical and natural ornamentation. Fascinated by flora and fauna, Jamnitzer decorated his artworks with casts of real flowers, leaves, and insects and other small creatures. People loved these detailed adornments, and Jamnitzer developed a wide circle of customers among high-ranking courtiers and the wealthy elite of Nuremberg. The Rijksmuseum collection houses the artist’s largest and most important surviving work, a huge table centrepiece.