Object Type
This standing cup with cover was intended for display. It would have been shown as part of a mass of vessels on a buffet or sideboard. Buffet displays were intended to demonstrate wealth and status.

Design & Technique
The principal decoration on this elaborate piece comprises bands of applied wire, known as filigree work. In this technique, a fine metal wire is formed into intricate designs, usually of geometric or foliate form. They are then soldered on to the object. The filigree is complemented by bands of engraving. On the cover these depict birds and animals in a landscape. On the body there are hunting scenes, and on the base fruit and flower stems.

Design Sources & Maker
Although made in London, this cup is unlikely to have been made by an Englishman, for a number of reasons. Filigree work is associated with south German and eastern European goldsmiths' work, and is rarely found in English silver. The surviving examples of English filigree work are so similar in technique that they can be attributed to the same maker as this piece. The engraving is based on Northern European print sources, and the maker's mark is a combination of initials characteristic of Flemish names. The maker's mark is otherwise unrecorded in London, and it is probable that he was working in London only for a short period of time.