Silver, London hallmarks for 1629-30, maker's mark, the initials 'DG' and anchor between, in a plain shield, probably for Daniel Gee.

A silver paten on a baluster stem with the date mark for 1629 and a maker's mark: an anchor between a D.G. in a plain shield.

Lent by St. Vedast-alias-Foster Church, London

The paten was originally part of the communion plate of St Michael Bassishaw, a parish church in Basinghall Street in the City of London, built on land now occupied by the Barbican Centre. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, then rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. The rebuilt church was demolished in 1900, when the parish amalgamated with that of St Lawrence Jewry. It is now part of the thirteen United Parishes and the communion plate is owned by St Vedast, Foster Lane.

‘The Lord’s Supper’
A general improvement in the furnishing of English churches took place after the accession of James I in 1603. By the 1620s, most parishes possessed not only a communion cup and paten but also an alms dish and flagon. The advent of alms dishes reflected the new emphasis on collecting gifts of money (alms) for the poor instead of for the church. Many more flagons were made in response to ecclesiastical regulations of 1603 that ordered the provision of suitable vessels to contain wine for the communion cup.

Gifts by parishioners revived after decades of comparative neglect. Wealthy local patrons commissioned costly silver vessels to beautify the altar for the ‘Lord’s Supper’, as the communion service was often termed. These were larger and more practical than earlier Protestant vessels and often came as matching sets. Benefactors also donated domestic flagons, dishes and cups for use in the church.

This paten was used in Protestant worship, to serve the consecrated communion bread during Holy Communion. The design of Protestant church silver often followed that of domestic wares, in this case a footed serving dish. The paten bears the maker's mark an anchor between DG probably for Daniel Gee, apprenticed in 1594, free in 1608 and still making communion plate in 1652/3.

LOAN:ST VEDAST.1