The colored enamel painting on the walls of this conical glass beaker shows an eagle, a mythical creature (griffin), and a column. The eagle holds a heart-shaped leaf in its beak. Facing it is the mythical griffin with pointed ears, protruding forelegs, eagle-like claws, the stylized hindquarters of a lion, and wings. The column is flanked by two small birds. The motifs on the walls are framed by ribbons at the top and bottom. The Latin lettering “AE-MARIA-GRC-IA-PLEN” (Hail Mary, full of grace) on the top ribbon corresponds to the first line of the “Hail Mary,” a principal prayer of the Catholic Church. It begins with the Archangel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary on the occasion of the announcement that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of God through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:28). The inscription, however, has no recognizable connection to the depictions on the beaker.

The colorless glass is of exceptional clarity and allows its pointed base to be seen from the outside. The skill of the glassblower is demonstrated by the foot ring at the lower edge, whose start and end points are almost invisible. The dark red and black paint is applied to the inside of the glass, while all other colors are applied to the outside. The design of the beaker suggests that it was made in the fourteenth century in Venice, the leading center of glass production at the time and an important center of trade for precious goods from the Near East and Europe. Against this background, the motif of the griffin is probably part of a common visual language used by artisans from the Islamic and Christian worlds.

It is not known where the glass beaker was found. As shown by comparable pieces found at various sites today, they were trade goods exported throughout Europe as luxury items. The designation of this group of glass beakers as “Aldrevandin beakers” refers to the glassblower who signed one of these beakers (now in the British Museum, London) with his name.