Standing cup with cover

Art Historical Context

Behold the majestic *Standing Cup with Cover*, stunning 19th-century electrotype crafted by British silversmiths Franchi and Son in London. This grand piece, standing over three feet tall with its lid (41 × 13 × 13 in.), faithfully copies a Renaissance original from 1570 Augsburg, Germany—a hub of exquisite metalwork during the period. Adorned with silver on base metal and vibrant enamel, it likely features figural scenes of men and women, evoking the opulence of 16th-century banqueting halls where such cups held wine or spices for nobility. Electrotyping, the innovative technique used here, revolutionized 19th-century museums by allowing precise, affordable copies of fragile treasures. Developed in the 1840s, it electroplated a thin layer of silver over a molded base metal form, preserving the original's intricate details without wear. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through purchase in 1873, this cup exemplifies the era's passion for historical revival, bridging Renaissance craftsmanship with Victorian ingenuity. Housed in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department, it invites visitors to marvel at how technology democratized art, making Augsburg's Renaissance splendor accessible to all. A testament to enduring elegance!