Standing Bowl
1564-1565 (hallmarked)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This is an example of a common type of Elizabethan drinking vessel. Standing bowls often came in sets of six or more, and were generally used for wine. The shallowness of the bowl would have made drinking quite difficult.
Design
Elizabethan standing bowls are usually gilt with covers, bands of engraved scrolling leaves and a circular motif in the centre of the bowl. From 1550, this central boss was often a helmeted head, or the head of the Roman god Mars. In this case, the head is that of a bearded warrior in a curiously shaped helmet.
Ownership & Use
Drinking bowls of this type were found all over Europe. In England they often survive in the collections of churches, converted into patens (or dishes) for the communion bread.
Paintings by the Flemish artists Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and Jan Breughel II (1601-1678) show these drinking bowls clasped by drinkers or arranged on sideboards. Their shape was copied in glass and Limoges enamels as well as in pewter, which was cheaper. The silver-gilt versions were, of course, used by fairly wealthy people. Their popularity can be seen by the frequent contemporary references, as well as by the fact that they appear in advertisements as prizes for 16th-century lotteries.
This is an example of a common type of Elizabethan drinking vessel. Standing bowls often came in sets of six or more, and were generally used for wine. The shallowness of the bowl would have made drinking quite difficult.
Design
Elizabethan standing bowls are usually gilt with covers, bands of engraved scrolling leaves and a circular motif in the centre of the bowl. From 1550, this central boss was often a helmeted head, or the head of the Roman god Mars. In this case, the head is that of a bearded warrior in a curiously shaped helmet.
Ownership & Use
Drinking bowls of this type were found all over Europe. In England they often survive in the collections of churches, converted into patens (or dishes) for the communion bread.
Paintings by the Flemish artists Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and Jan Breughel II (1601-1678) show these drinking bowls clasped by drinkers or arranged on sideboards. Their shape was copied in glass and Limoges enamels as well as in pewter, which was cheaper. The silver-gilt versions were, of course, used by fairly wealthy people. Their popularity can be seen by the frequent contemporary references, as well as by the fact that they appear in advertisements as prizes for 16th-century lotteries.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Chased silver |
| Brief description | Standing bowl |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
SILVER FOR DISPLAY Precious metal vessels decorated in the Renaissance style were used in both domestic and church settings. At this period presents were given at New Year, rather than Christmas. Drinking cups, intended for display on a magnificent buffet of tiered shelves, were a popular gift. The inclusion of the owner's initials or coat of arms indicated his high social standing. An elaborate salt cellar marked the position of the most important person at the dining table.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | Made in London by an unidentified maker with the mark 'IA' |
| Summary | Object Type This is an example of a common type of Elizabethan drinking vessel. Standing bowls often came in sets of six or more, and were generally used for wine. The shallowness of the bowl would have made drinking quite difficult. Design Elizabethan standing bowls are usually gilt with covers, bands of engraved scrolling leaves and a circular motif in the centre of the bowl. From 1550, this central boss was often a helmeted head, or the head of the Roman god Mars. In this case, the head is that of a bearded warrior in a curiously shaped helmet. Ownership & Use Drinking bowls of this type were found all over Europe. In England they often survive in the collections of churches, converted into patens (or dishes) for the communion bread. Paintings by the Flemish artists Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and Jan Breughel II (1601-1678) show these drinking bowls clasped by drinkers or arranged on sideboards. Their shape was copied in glass and Limoges enamels as well as in pewter, which was cheaper. The silver-gilt versions were, of course, used by fairly wealthy people. Their popularity can be seen by the frequent contemporary references, as well as by the fact that they appear in advertisements as prizes for 16th-century lotteries. |
| Bibliographic reference | Fliegel, Stephen M. 'An Elizabethan Silver Cup with Cover'. Cleveland Studies in the History of Art. Vol. 8, 2003, pp. 34-43. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.352-1912 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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