Flagon
1619-1620 (made)
| Place of origin |
This flagon was used in Protestant worship to hold the communion wine. In England after the Reformation, the whole congregation took the wine, not just the priest. An ecclesiastical law of 1603, authorised by James I, stated that it should be brought to the communion table ‘in a clean and sweet standing pot or stoup of pewter – if not of purer metal’.
The flagon bears the names of the donors, Thomas Chapleyne and his wife Joan. The engravings show Christ as the Good Shepherd tending his flock. Costly decoration, called ‘fashioning’ in goldsmiths’ bills, showed off the generosity of the donor.
The flagon bears the names of the donors, Thomas Chapleyne and his wife Joan. The engravings show Christ as the Good Shepherd tending his flock. Costly decoration, called ‘fashioning’ in goldsmiths’ bills, showed off the generosity of the donor.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, partly gilded |
| Brief description | Silver, parcel-gilt, London hallmarks for 1619-20, mark. 'IL', a mullet below, in a shield-shaped punch, probably for John Lewis. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Lent by the Vicar and Churchwards of St. Denys, Severn Stoke, Worcestershire |
| Historical context | ‘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. |
| Production | Mark: "IL", a mullet below, in a shield shaped punch. |
| Summary | This flagon was used in Protestant worship to hold the communion wine. In England after the Reformation, the whole congregation took the wine, not just the priest. An ecclesiastical law of 1603, authorised by James I, stated that it should be brought to the communion table ‘in a clean and sweet standing pot or stoup of pewter – if not of purer metal’. The flagon bears the names of the donors, Thomas Chapleyne and his wife Joan. The engravings show Christ as the Good Shepherd tending his flock. Costly decoration, called ‘fashioning’ in goldsmiths’ bills, showed off the generosity of the donor. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:SEVERN STOKE.1 |
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| Record created | November 15, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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