Figures trapped in a shell-like ornament with a man and woman also clamped in shells (1556), designer Cornelis Floris II, engraver Johannes or Lucas van Doetecum, publisher Hieronymus Cock. On the one hand, prints such as these had a functional value, serving as inspiration for craftsmen, such as goldsmiths or carpenters, whose adorning of objects and buildings with ornate designs was in much demand at the time. On the other hand, they are stunning pieces of artwork in their own right, twisting as they do traditional motifs from Roman art and architecture into truly strange scenes, teeming with curious detail, which almost seem to exist apart from space and time. (Source: Rijksmuseum)