This late medieval beaker is a very rare survival: many precious metal objects of this period were later melted down to create more fashionable items. Its form imitates earlier German drinking glasses. Its proportions appear to be unique in silver, suggesting it may have been converted from a font-shaped cup, though it shows no physical evidence of alteration. The almost complete destruction of domestic plate from the early 16th century makes such conjectures mere speculation, and it is quite possible that this is a solitary survival of a once common form.

This piece is an example of 16th century domestic silver. Such silver was both functional and ornamental. Objects for dining and drinking took elegant forms and were decorated in the latest styles. Beautifully crafted items intended only for display often adopted functional forms such as cups and dishes. Domestic silver was not confined to the most wealthy. Many people owned silver spoons or mounted vessels, items which often became treasured possessions.

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.