Physical description
A silver-gilt drinking vessel, raised with applied external vertical ribs near the base reminiscent of earlier French, German and Italian glass vessels and contemporary European bronze mortars, with a 17th century pricked inscription.
Place of Origin
London, England (made)
Date
1496-1497 (made)
Artist/maker
unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Silver-gilt, raised and soldered
Marks and inscriptions
'TW'
V-shaped motif in a holly punch
Date letter for 1496-7
London hall mark; a leopard's head
Dimensions
Height: 8.9 cm, Diameter: 8 cm
Object history note
The Whately family of Nonsuch Park, Surrey, possibly Thomas Whateley (1685-1765); Christie's 28 May 1902 (68); JA Holms; The Rt Hon Sir Ernest Cassel and thence by descent. Specialists sometimes refer to this beaker as The Cassel Beaker after Ernest Cassel's brief ownership in the early 20th century. Cassel Silver Exhibition RF.2005/532
Historical significance: This is the second earliest piece of fully-marked English hollow-ware recorded
Descriptive line
Silver-gilt beaker; London, 1496-7
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Jackson, C., The History of English Plate, London, 1911
Jones, A.A., "The Late Sir Ernest Cassel's Collection of Old English Plate I", Country Life, 8 December 1923, p. 844, plate 1
How, C.P. and J.P., English and Scottish Silver Spoons, Medieval to late Stuart, 1952, Vol.III, p. 50 (marks)
Clayton, M., The Collector's Dictionary of Silver and Gold (London, 1971), p. 30
Review Goldsmiths' Company, London 1981-2, p. 28
Jackson, C.J., Silver and Gold Marks of England, Scotland and Ireland, rev.edn ed. Ian Pickford (Woodbridge, 1987) p. 86
Exhibition History
English Silver 1400-1800 (The Silver Galleries, Victoria and Albert Museum)
The Cassel Silver (National Museum of Wales, Cardiff 19/08/2006-15/10/2006)
The Cassel Silver (Museum of London 17/06/2006-13/08/2006)
The Cassel Silver (Temple Newsam, Leeds 13/04/2006-11/06/2006)
The Cassel Silver (Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery 21/11/2005-26/03/2006)
The Cassel Silver (Ashmolean Museum 02/08/2005-13/11/2005)
The Goldsmith and the Grape: Silver in the Service of Wine (Goldsmiths' Hall 01/01/1983-31/12/1983)
Queen Charlotte's Loan Exhibition (London, Seaford House 01/01/1929-31/12/1929)
Loan Exhibition of Old English Plate (25 Park Lane, London 01/01/1929-31/12/1929)
Loan Exhibition of Old English Plate, 1929
Labels and date
BEAKER
Silver-gilt
London, 1496
Maker’s mark a merchant’s mark in holly leaf surround
The initials TW possibly for Thomas Whately (c.1685-1765), Director of the Bank of England.
This beaker is one of the earliest surviving English vessels with hallmarks. It is also a very rare example of an English drinking cup from before 1500, and probably served wine. A Yorkshire will of 1448 mentions ‘a silver gilt piece for sweet wine, in the shape of a beaker’. The vertical ribs on the outside of the beaker recall earlier French and German drinking glasses and allowed the drinker to grip an otherwise slippery surface.
Formerly in the collection of Sir Ernest Cassel. Acquired by Private Treaty Sale with additional funding from The National Heritage Memorial Fund, The Art Fund, The A.H. and B.C. Whiteley Family and The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
M.23-2005 [06/11/2006]
Production Note
This is the only known piece to bear the unidentified maker's mark of a V-shaped motif in holly punch.
Materials
Silver-gilt
Techniques
Gilding; Raising; Soldering
Categories
Household objects; Containers; Drinking; Food vessels & Tableware
Collection code
MET
