Cups and Trophies Goblets & Chalices Beakers & Tumbler Cups
Coconut Cups and Quaiches Porringers and Bleeding Bowls Stirrup and Wager Cups
Cups and Trophies.
Cups and Trophies Goblets & Chalices Beakers & Tumbler Cups
Coconut Cups and Quaiches Porringers and Bleeding Bowls Stirrup and Wager Cups
Cups and Trophies. Large size goblets and 2 handled cups are often given as trophy prizes and many have interesting presentation inscriptions. These cups are often used as wine coolers and make fascinating conversation pieces.
Silver Wine Goblets were popular in England during the 17th century until they were superceded by glass drinking vessels in the late 1600s. Silver goblets made a comeback in the mid 18th century.
Church communion Chalices can be found dating back to as early as 1560. They sometimes have a cover which doubles as a paten.
Antique Silver Beakers date back to the early 1600s. They have remained popular up until the present day and are generally of a simple flared form. Sometimes double beakers are found which fit together in the shape of a barrel. The “Camp Canteen”, dating from the late 17th century onwards, is a travelling set consisting of a beaker fitted inside with cutlery, condiments and possibly a corkscrew.
Tumbler Cups were made from the mid 17th century onwards. They are made from thick gauge sheet silver which was hammered up so that the sides become thinner towards the top and the rounded base would have the greater weight. When they are knocked over they will automatically right themselves. A very useful drinking cup to use onboard ship.
Antique Silver Mounted Coconut Cups. Coconuts were prized in early times for their healing powers and drinking vessels were often formed from them. The coconut cup is a variety of standing cup, made and used in Europe in the 15th and 16th Century, with a revival in Georgian England. Usually they have a pedestal foot or 3 ornamental feet and are mounted in silver or Old Sheffield plate. Many coconuts were carved on board ship by the sailors (or prisoners of war).
Quaiches. Used in Scotland for centuries, the quaiche is a shallow cup with two, or even three, side handles used to drink spirits such as whiskey or brandy. It is a social drinking vessel, symbolic of friendship and trust, which one person would pass to another with both hands (which would render them incapable of holding a secret weapon). In the centre of the basin usually lies a large coin or medallion, often engraved with a coat of arms, a set of initials, a motto, or a toast such as ‘cheers!’ Over the years the quaiche has become a traditional gift at special occasions such as weddings and christenings.
Porringers and Bleeding Bowls. In the past, people from all levels of society took their food in forms unfamiliar today. Everyday nourishment depended heavily on eggs, milk, oats and grains. Ale, sack mead, wine, spices, sultanas and sugar were added for flavor. The gruel, porridge, potage (soup), caudle and other sloppy warm mixtures were partially drunk and partially eaten with a spoon. They were served in 2 handled cups, often with a cover to keep it warm.
Porringers are two handled bowls and some have a cover. They can also be known as caudle cups although the origin of the porringer was for porridge and the caudle cup was for a type of broth. From the eighteenth century onwards, porringers and cups and covers were used mainly as centrepieces or ornaments. In recent times they have seen a resurgence in popularity for drinking and on the dining table. They make a very attractive baby gift.
Bleeding Bowls may have been used for medical purposes however many people think that these shallow bowls were more likely to have been eating vessels, especially for feeding the sick.
Figural Cups, Stirrup Cups and Wager Cups
Stirrup Cups in silver didn’t become popular until the mid 18th century. The name derives from a cup of wine or other alcoholic drink offered to a person on horseback who is about to depart on a journey (with one’s feet in the stirrups). This term is now more associated with the cup used at the traditional fox hunt. The stirrup cup is usually ornamental and often in the form of a fox head.
Wager Cups.
Marriage cups. These highly collectible silver double drinking vessels are also known as marriage cups. The idea is to drink the contents of the large cup (the lady’s skirt) without spilling the drink inside the small cup. The bride would drink from the small cup, the groom from the large cup.
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.”
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