Cup and Cover thumbnail 1
Cup and Cover thumbnail 2
Not on display

Cup and Cover

1500-1519 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Portugal (made)

The use of decorative bosses suggests this cup and cover was made in Portugal, where this type of decoration was widely used. The berry-like bosses are reminiscent of late medieval German glass.

Object details

Category
Metalwork
Object type
Cup and cover
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Cups
  • Cover (Closure)
Materials and techniques
Silver-gilt
Silver
Gilded
Brief description
Cup and cover, silver, trumpet-shaped foot and domed cover surmounted by a ball knop, Portugal, 1500-1519
Physical description
Bowl and unscrewing trumpet-shaped foot; domed cover surmounted by a ball knop. Decorated with peal bosses within a trellis pattern.
Dimensions
  • Height: 28cm
  • Cup and lid together weight: 1214g
Credit line
Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA
Object history
The attribution to Portugal is due to the use of the pearled boss decoration.
Subjects depicted
Bosses
Patterns
Summary
The use of decorative bosses suggests this cup and cover was made in Portugal, where this type of decoration was widely used. The berry-like bosses are reminiscent of late medieval German glass.
Bibliographic references
  • Oman, Charles, The Golden Age of Hispanic Silver 1400-1665, p.49, pl.58, HMSO, 1968
  • Vassallo e Silva, Nuno. Catalogue entry. In: Lords of the Ocean. Treasures of the Portuguese Empire in the 16th - 18th centuries, ed. by Yulia Buzykina and Vladimir Tauber. Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Moscow Kremlin Museums, Moscow, 5 December 2017 - 25 February 2018. Moscow, 2017. ISBN 978-5-88678-316-2
  • Hartop, Christopher. 'Portuguese and English links in silver from 1500 - 1900'. In: Actas do II Colóquio Português de Ourivesaria, ed. Gonçalo Vasconcelos e Sousa. Oporto: Universidade Católica do Porto, 2009, pp. 15-28.
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
M.49:1, 2-1959

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Record createdFebruary 19, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O93324/cup-and-cover-unknown/
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