An antique silver model of a windmill mounted on a wine cup. Hand engraved. Beautifully constructed with multiple moving parts. The windmill house is reached by a staircase with two sculptured figures climbing up, on one side there is a man peeping out of a small window. The revolving windmill sails connect to the clock hands on the other side and both move together. The roof is mounted with a revolving flag, a tiny bird and a sculptured finial. There is a horn which is non-functional. Weight 203 grams, 6.5 troy ounces. Height 22.5 cm. Diameter of cup 8.5 cm. Fully stamped with Dutch silver marks fpr Amsterdam. Circa 1890.
Literature: Wager cups. Windmill cups were used as a drinking game. First fill the cup up with a liquor of choice and spin the windmill sails (either by hand or by blowing the horn). The challenge is to drink the contents of the cup before the sails stop. The clock hands on some windmills also revolve with the sails and a penalty would be due depending on the number where the hand (pointer) stopped.
This novelty cup is in good used condition. Fully functional. Stamped on the bottom rim of the large cup with 2 tiny duty marks, the sails and the windmill house both have Dutch pseudo silver marks. One of the sails has a repair.
Please note that this item is not new and will show moderate signs of wear commensurate with age. Reflections in the photograph may detract from the true representation of this item.
“waxantiques” is a family business run by husband and wife team Lou and Ann Wax.
Our shared interest in antiques led us to change career and start dealing in general antiques shortly after we married. We spent many happy years selling at the world famous Bermondsey antiques market and at the larger UK fairs. As the years progressed our interest became more focused on antique silverware and its domestic history and twenty five years ago we moved on to Camden Passage to open our specialist silver store “waxantiques”.
In 2018 we finally made our move to the London Silver Vaults.
Our website www.waxantiques.com launched in 2011 now accounts for a substantial and growing proportion of the business to the extent where Ann needs to concentrate on maintaining our online presence, while Lou is responsible for the day to day running of the shop and customer liaison.
We are fortunate indeed to have a career which allows us to handle such lovely items, many of which would not be out of place in a museum environment. Perhaps best of all is that it keeps us in contact with customers from all over the world, many of whom we count as good friends as well as colleagues.