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Gold and silverwork constituted the principal work of most of the great artists of the Renaissance, including Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, and Donatello.
This art was highly appreciated by the Medicis, who acquired a splendid collection.
The superb cup, made from Grisons jasper, is one of the most striking objects.
Its creater showed an extraordinary skill: making its form fit the subject, he carved the struggle between Hercules and the lernaean Huydra.
The jasper, inlaid with pearls, is surmounted by a statuette of Hercules in solid gold.
Hercules is preparing to hurl the stone that will kill the Hydra.
The head and tail of the Hydra form the handles of the cup, attributed to Mazzafirri, who worked for Grand Duke Ferdinand I.
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