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Two-handled cup and cover
Marked by: Unmarked
English (London)
about 1665
Object Place: Europe, London, England
Medium/Technique
Gold
Dimensions
H. 8.7 cm (3 7/16 in.); W. 11.6 cm (4 9/16 in.); Diameter (of rim) 7.9 cm (3 1/8 in.); Weight 271 gm (8 oz 13 dwt)
Credit Line
Theodora Wilbour Fund in memory of Charlotte Beebe Wilbour
Accession Number60.534a-b
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsGold
DescriptionThe cup rests on a low spreading foot that is chased with acanthus leaves. The body of the cup is of a slightly flared shape with a flat bottom. It is chased embossed overall with lobate ornament suggesting masks and foliage. Each S-shaped handle has a scrolled terminus and is surmounted by the head of a bird. The cover is slightly domed, with a plain rim and a circular handle in the form of a coiled serpent and an applied inn bezel. It is chased and embossed with lobate and foliate decoration similar to that on the body. The cup, cover, and foot are raised, embossed, and chased. The handles are cast, and the finial is formed of a piece of coiled engraved wire. The tip of one handle is a repair of base metal, cast after the origin handle.
ProvenanceMarch 24, 1960, sold at Sotheby & Co., London, lot 41. 1960, sold by Thomas Lumley, Ltd., London, to the MFA for £1,050. (Accession date: May 11, 1960)