Communion cup

Maker Unknown

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Date1561

Mediumsilver

Dimensions7 7/8 x 4 1/2 in. (20 x 11.4 cm.)

MarkingsMark sun in splendor (J68)

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Mrs. W. B. Munro

Status

On view

Label TextA communion cup or chalice is used to hold sacramental wine during the Eucharist when the Last Supper is re-enacted in the Christian mass. Steeple cups, named after their distinctive pyramidal finial on top, were a characteristically English form. They were typically made for display on the buffet, although they may also have been used as chalices, since several have been found among collections of church plate.

Object number68.15.3