Porringer
1660-1661 (hallmarked)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This type of cup, with its impressive stand (Loan:Gilbert.609-2008) , was made for display and known as a 'state cup.' The Latin inscription 'Ex dono Regis' (the gift of the king) suggests it was probably a New Year's gift. The tradition in which the King and his courtiers exchanged gifts of plate and money according to their rank was revived at the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. A porringer was a shallow dish with double handles, derived in the Medieval period it could be made from a range of materials from wood and pewter to gold.
Large sculptural objects for display had always been an important feature of aristocratic and princely silver. But Restoration England commented with disapproval upon the extravagance of the latest fashion (imported from France) for massive silver furniture, chandeliers, wine cisterns and other heavy types of plate. Impressive and monumental Baroque silver of this kind had a particular appeal for Arthur Gilbert.
Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since.
Large sculptural objects for display had always been an important feature of aristocratic and princely silver. But Restoration England commented with disapproval upon the extravagance of the latest fashion (imported from France) for massive silver furniture, chandeliers, wine cisterns and other heavy types of plate. Impressive and monumental Baroque silver of this kind had a particular appeal for Arthur Gilbert.
Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt, embossed and engraved |
| Brief description | Silver-gilt porringer and cover, Francis Leake, London, 1660-1661 |
| Physical description | Silver-gilt porringer and cover. The porringer is of bulbous form with two handles in the shape of scrolls with female heads. The sides and cover are heavily embossed with animals and floral vegetation. 'Ex dono Regis' is inscribed below the rim. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This type of cup, with its impressive stand (Loan:Gilbert.609-2008) , was made for display and known as a 'state cup.' The Latin inscription 'Ex dono Regis' (the gift of the king) suggests it was probably a New Year's gift. The tradition in which the King and his courtiers exchanged gifts of plate and money according to their rank was revived at the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. A porringer was a shallow dish with double handles, derived in the Medieval period it could be made from a range of materials from wood and pewter to gold. Large sculptural objects for display had always been an important feature of aristocratic and princely silver. But Restoration England commented with disapproval upon the extravagance of the latest fashion (imported from France) for massive silver furniture, chandeliers, wine cisterns and other heavy types of plate. Impressive and monumental Baroque silver of this kind had a particular appeal for Arthur Gilbert. Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since. |
| Associated object | |
| Bibliographic reference | Schroder, Timothy. The Gilbert collection of gold and silver (supplement). Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1988, cat. no. E |
| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.610:1, 2-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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