Elizabeth I Antique Silver Cup and Cover, London 1587.

Object Description

This historic old English chalice dates back to the late 1500’s, a very early date. The cup follows the standard design for Elizabethan communion cups with straight tapering sides and slightly flared at the top. The simple decoration is typical of the period; the body with bands of line and dot engraving with strapwork, the stem and foot with applied ornamental wires. The cup is most likely to have been made from pre-reformation silver and still retains the original cover (paten) with initials engraved to the top. It has a superb antique patina and hand beaten finish.

Contains 180 ml.
Total weight of chalice 232g, 7.4 troy oz.
Chalice dimensions – height 14.1cm, 5ins, diameter of top 8.8cm.
Paten dimension – height 4.2cm, diameter 9.3cm.
Extremely good silver marks for London 1587.
Maker’s mark “O enclosing M or W”.
Sterling silver.

A lovely example of hand crafted Tudor workmanship.

Marks. Stamped on the body and paten with a full set of English silver hallmarks, lion mark to the cup b. The maker’s mark appears to be a large “O” enclosing “M” or “W”. There are no precise records of silver makers marks prior to 1681 as all records were destroyed in the fire at Goldsmiths Hall in that year when the Assay Office and apartments of the Assayer and Clerk in the south west wing of the building were burned down.

No maker assigned

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Object Literature

Most parish churches in existence at this date would have had a chalice very similar to this. During the Reformation there was a return to a simpler, more direct form of worship. The church authorities launched a programme from about 1560 to replace the ‘old massing chalices’ with ‘decent’ communion cups of prescribed design, such as this. The programme for refashioning old chalices was staggered from diocese to diocese over a period of about 15 years. The large and remote Welsh diocese of St David’s was one of the last to adopt the new form of communion cup.

Object Condition

This delightful cup and cover is in good condition with signs of use over the past 400 years. The hand engraving still retains good definition. The cup has been water tested and does not leak. Both pieces have a magnificent antique patination. The cup shows some signs of earlier repairs which is to be expected with a piece of silver of this age.

Object Details