Two-Handled Cup

1686

Two-Handled Cup, 1686. England, London, 17th century (James II). Silver gilt; overall: 23.9 x 32.4 cm (9 7/16 x 12 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Inspired by the great benefits accomplished for humanity by Dr. Geroge W. Crile, I give this James II cup to the Cleveland Museum of Art in his honor, gift of Grace Studebaker Fish 1935.145.a Produced a year after the coronation of James II (1633–1701), this silver cup and the accompanying lid celebrate the monarchy and reflect the political and social alliances that underpinned the aristocracy during the 1600s. During their coronation, James II and his second wife Mary of Modena (1658–1718) were carried through the city of London under a silk canopy adorned with motifs inspired by European perceptions of Chinese art, known as chinoiserie. Following the procession, the thirty-two lords involved in the ceremony were each offered a portion of the cloth from the canopy as well as sixteen troy ounces of silver from the posts. At least two of them commissioned cups adorned with chinoiserie to be made from the silver. While it is unclear if this cup once belonged to one of the thirty-two peers, it was almost certainly created in response to the same motifs and social developments. This two-handled cup is accompanied by a lid. See cover record.