Two-Handled Cup and Cover

1677

Two-Handled Cup and Cover, 1677. England, London, 17th century (Charles II). Silver and silver gilt; overall: 17.2 x 11.5 cm (6 3/4 x 4 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Eugene R. Miles in honor of William Mathewson Milliken in appreciation of his interests in Cleveland artists 1958.422 Due to its size and ornament, this vessel may have functioned as a caudle cup, containing a mixture of ale or wine and bread, oatmeal, eggs, sugar, and spices that was given to women after childbirth to help them regain their strength. The scrolling foliage and exotic birds along the exterior of this cup were likely based on prints circulating in the 1600s. The reclining female figures capping the handles and the acanthus bud finial on the lid recall common architectural motifs. Cups of this kind are often called sleeve cups since the ornament is incorporated into a pierced and chased hollow tube that slides over the gilded body of the cup.