Standing cup (half of a double cup)
early 17th century
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 5 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 in. (14.6 x 7 x 7 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
Hungarian, Kassa
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The Salgo Trust for Education, New York, in memory of Nicolas M. Salgo, 2010
Accession Number
2010.110.8
Art Historical Context
This exquisite standing cup, crafted by the Hungarian silversmith Michael Cos de Tarcal in early 17th century, represents one half of a rare double cup set. Made of finely worked silver, it measures a compact 5¾ x 2¾ x 2¾ inches, perfect for elegant display or ceremonial use. Hailing from Kassa (present-day Košice, Slovakia), a thriving center of metalworking in the Kingdom of Hungary, the piece exemplifies the region's masterful silversmithing tradition during a turbulent era of Habsburg-Ottoman conflicts. Double cups like this were prized luxury items among the nobility, often used in pairs...