Artwork

Two Brooches with Bird and Winged Snake at Top and Griffins with Vases at Bottom

Two Brooches with Bird and Winged Snake at Top and Griffins with Vases at Bottom is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Daniel Mignot. It dates from 1596 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Daniel Mignot’s 1596 engraving presents two ornamental designs intended for brooches. The upper motif combines avian figures with a serpentine creature that bears wings, set above flowing, curved forms. The lower composition features a pair of griffins—lion‑bodied with eagle wings—each supporting a modestly detailed vase. The print serves as a visual reference for metalwork patterns.

Subject & Meaning

The upper design juxtaposes the natural elegance of birds with the mythic hybrid of a winged snake, suggesting a blend of vitality and protection. In the lower panel, the griffins, traditional guardians, uphold vases that may symbolize abundance or ceremonial use, reinforcing the decorative and symbolic functions expected of jewelry.

Technique & Style

Executed in fine line engraving, the image relies on crisp, dark strokes and cross‑hatching to convey depth and texture. The precise rendering of animal anatomy and ornamental curves reflects the meticulous drafting typical of late‑Renaissance metal‑design studies, where clarity was essential for craftsmen translating the drawing into wrought pieces.

History & Provenance

Created by French engraver Daniel Mignot in 1596, the print belongs to a corpus of pattern books that circulated among goldsmiths and silversmiths of the period. Such documents were commonly compiled for workshop use, and surviving copies are found in collections of decorative‑arts archives, illustrating the transmission of design ideas across European workshops.