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Discover a rare and beautiful object made by one of Scotland’s most significant female artists.
Date
1905-1906
Made by
Phoebe Anna Traquair and JM Talbot
Dimensions
Height 348mm
Museum reference
On display
Design for Living, Level 5, National Museum of Scotland
Did you know?
Pāua shells are native to New Zealand and are often used in Maori art.
This unusual decorative piece was created in 1906 using a pāua shell. It is decorated with exquisite enamelled plaquettes by the Edinburgh artist Phoebe Traquair (1852-1936), showing scenes from the mythological story of Cupid and Psyche.
The silver and moonstone stand was designed by Phoebe Traquair’s son, the architect Ramsay Traquair, and was made by the Edinburgh silversmith JM Talbot.
Phoebe Traquair kept this cup on its stand along with another very similar one, dating from 1918-19. Both passed down within her family and were acquired, with many other items, directly from her grandchildren in 1989.
