This flagon was used to hold wine during the Anglican Communion service. After the Reformation of the 16th century, people took wine as well as consecrated bread at Communion. It was common to donate vessels such as patens (shallow dishes) or Communion cups as a sign of devotion. The flagon displays many of the typical decorative motifs of the late 17th century, such as high-relief (raised) ornamentation, scrolls and garlands. The high quality of the work probably reflects the influx of Huguenot craftsmen in the 1680s. The Huguenots were Protestants forced to leave France or to convert to Catholicism after 1685, when Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes (1598) which had guaranteed religious tolerance. The Huguenot craftsmen brought many innovations in design and technique to Britain. In particular, they introduced new methods of casting and decoration.
The flagon was given to St James' Church, Piccadilly, London, at the time of its consecration in 1683. The building was the work of the architect Sir Christopher Wren, who designed many churches after the Great Fire of 1666 that destroyed the City of London.