Cup

Cup, Germany, 19th century in the style of around 1475. Museum no. 389-1854

This exotic and sumptuous cup was bought by the Museum in 1854 for the large sum of £80 as a splendid example of late Gothic metalwork.

Until very recently it was considered to be a major piece and consistently published in standard accounts of Gothic goldsmith’s work. However, comparison with objects in European collections has led to a reassessment. On the basis of some construction features, such as the jointed stem, separate handle and round foot disguised as a lobed mount, as well as the object’s lack of wear and absence of provenance, the cup has been reclassified as an example of 19th-century work made for a collectors market!