Cover for a Two-Handled Cup
Unknown Artist
1677
Medium
silver and silver gilt
Dimensions
17.2 × 11.5 cm
Classification
Silver
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
In honor of William Mathewson Milliken in appreciation of his interest in Cleveland artists
Accession Number
1958.422.b
About this artwork
Due to its size and ornament, the vessel accompanying this lid 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 the 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 moti...