Two-handled cup and cover
about 1660
Object PlaceProbably London, England
Medium/TechniqueSilver
DimensionsH. 20 cm (7 7/8 in.); W. 19.1 cm ( 7 1/2 in.); D. 14.3 cm (5 5/8 in.); Weight 855.4 gm (27 oz 10 dwt)
Credit LineTheodora Wilbour Fund in memory of Charlotte Beebe Wilbour
Accession number63.1254a-b
On View
On viewClassificationsSilver hollowware
Collections
The bizarre decoration of this unsigned cup recalls the work of Christiaen van Vianen (1598–1667), a Dutch silversmith who worked in England during the reigns of Charles I and Charles II (works by Christiaen and his father Adam are displayed upstairs in Gallery 242). Intentionally strange, the shapeshifting surface suggests eyes, noses and mouths; however, this style is called “auricular” because it resembles the fleshy contours of a human ear. While the cup’s bulbous shape is typically English, its construction is not, leading to speculation that it was made in England by a European silversmith who worked with van Vianen or who imitated his distinctive style.
ProvenancePossibly John Evelyn (b. 1620 - d. 1706) and his wife, Mary Browne, London. 1963, sold by John Hunt (b. 1900 - d. 1976) London and Dublin, to the MFA for £2,800. (Accession Date: September 18, 1963)
