Pewter, London, 1490-1500, one of 20 dug up in 1899 during building work on Guy's Hospital and bearing the crown and feather stamp of the heir apparent to the English throne and therefore possibly part of the household pewter of Arthur, Prince of Wales (1485-1502)

Shallow pewter dish with broad, slightly concave rim, the centre raised as a shallow dome, the rim bearing a distinctive stamp of a crowned feather. The dish overall has a bright lustre where it has been cleaned aggressively but this has left darker patches in the recessed areas. The reverse is much darker. Two fractures running from the centre of the dish to the rim have been repaired, and signed, 'HJLJM' for HJLJ Massé.

Alfred Yeates Bequest

The plate bears the crown and feather motif of the heir apparent to the English throne. It may have been part of the household pewter of Prince Arthur, Henry VIII's older brother who died in 1502.

The main body of the V&A's pewter collection grew from several large bequests including the Alfred Yeates Bequest, from which this dish came. Yeates left his collection, mainly of 17th and 18th century English pewter to the Museum in 1944. It includes a fine series of late 17th century mugs, tankards and salts and a few highly important early wares including this dish.

Before Alfred Yeates owned the dish it belonged to F.G. Hilton-Price, a prominent collector and author on pewter in the early 20th century.

Historical significance: This is one of 20 similar dishes dating from about 1500 found during building work at Guy's Hospital, London in 1899. These dishes have been the subject of much study by medieval historians and members of the Pewter Society ever since.

The dishes have for many years been associated with Arthur, Prince of Wales, Henry VIII's older brother. They bear the crown and feather stamp of the heir apparent to the English throne, they compare in style to other late fifteenth-century dishes and they were found near the site of Arthur's palace at Kennington.

It has also been suggested that these dishes once formed part of a pewter service made for the coronation of Henry VIII in 1509 that was subsequently dispersed.

Another possibility is that they have no royal provenance at all but belonged to an inn named, 'The Prince of Wales', although no inn bearing that name is known near the site of the hoard's find.

As a good piece of medieval dining pewter, and as part of a surviving set, this dish is extremely rare. Giving it even greater significance is the fact that it bears an early example of a maker's touch (see Marks & Inscriptions). In England, the Worshipful Company of Pewterers was established in 1478 to take control of the expanding pewter trade. On completing an apprenticeship, pewterers were required to register a 'touchmark' to be stamped on their wares, which had to meet set standards of quality. Inspectors or 'searchers' from the Company travelled around England visiting workshops and testing items. Substandard wares, often containing too much lead, incurred fines and were liable to destruction.

Other dishes from the hoard are at the British Museum, Museum of London, The Worshipful Company of Pewterers and in private ownership.

Pewter was part of everyday life until the 19th century. Eating, drinking, celebrating, lighting rooms and taking communion all required long-lasting, affordable objects. This dish has knife scratch marks on its surface, a sign of frequent use.

The hardness and lustre of this dish suggest a high quality pewter. Pewter is an alloy or mixture of metals consisting primarily of tin. Adding metals such as copper and antimony makes pewter harder and more durable. The best alloys contain over 90% tin. Pewter's low melting point makes it suitable for casting, though early casting moulds were expensive

Before 1800 lead was allowed in 'lay metal', a lower-quality alloy used for measures and boxes. Soft lead made casting easier, but was poisonous, so it was forbidden in 'flatware' such as plates, dishes and porringers. Tests do reveal small amounts of up to 2%. Modern pewter contains no lead.

The Museum bought European pewter as early as the 1850s. An interest in English pewter grew after 1900 and increased with the foundation of the Pewter Society in 1918.

Maker possibly William Sexteyn or possibly William Hurstwaight (see Marks & Inscriptions)

This is one of 20 similar dishes dating from about 1500 found during building work at Guy's Hospital, London in 1899. The dishes may have been part of the household pewter of Arthur, Prince of Wales, Henry VII's eldest son and Henry VIII's older brother. On their outer rims the dishes bear the crown and feather stamp of the heir apparent to the English throne. They also compare in style to late 15th century dishes and they were found near the site of Arthur's palace at Kennington.

Pewter was part of everyday life until the 19th century. Eating, drinking, celebrating, lighting rooms and taking communion all required long-lasting, affordable objects. This dish has knife scratch marks on its surface, a sign of frequent use.

The hardness and lustre of this dish suggest a high quality pewter. Pewter is an alloy or mixture of metals consisting primarily of tin. Adding metals such as copper and antimony makes pewter harder and more durable. The best alloys contain over 90% tin.

As a good piece of medieval dining pewter, and as part of a surviving set, this dish is extremely rare. Giving it even greater significance is the fact that it bears an early example of a maker's touch. In England, the Worshipful Company of Pewterers was established in 1478 to take control of the expanding pewter trade. On completing an apprenticeship, pewterers were required to register a 'touchmark' to be stamped on their wares, which had to meet set standards of quality. Inspectors or 'searchers' from the Company travelled around England visiting workshops and testing items. Substandard wares, often containing too much lead, incurred fines and were liable to destruction. The 'bell' touch mark on this dish has not been identified.

M.39-1945