Vaas met twee gedraaide oren, beginnend en eindigend in eenzelfde mascaron

The print depicts an ornate vessel featuring two large, serpentine handles that emerge from and terminate in grotesque lion-like masks. The central frieze of the vase shows a miniature relief of classical figures performing a ritual or sacrifice around a central altar. The work demonstrates the Mannerist style of 'all'antica' ornament, characterized by its fusion of archaeological forms with imaginative, monstrous details.

Aegidius Sadeler served as the imperial engraver to Rudolf II in Prague, a major center for Hermeticism and the occult sciences. This print reflects the Rudolfine 'Kunstkammer' culture, where the study of classical antiquity and the 'grotesque' was integrated into a wider philosophical pursuit of understanding the hidden harmonies between art and nature.