Objects
Cup
Alcohol
Weddings
[Taken from catalogue entry]
An English delft blue and white two-handled cup, dated 1688, probably London. With opposing scroll handles, inscribed G/A*A/1688, within a heart-shaped cartouches surrounded by scroll ornament.
Multi-handled cups such as this, sometimes called ‘tygs’, were used largely, if not exclusively, for alcohol.
English delft is a kind of tin-glazed earthenware, so-called because of its strong connection to Dutch delftware. The earliest known producers in England were immigrants from Antwerp who were fleeing religious persecution by the Spanish in the Low Countries. They first settled in Norwich in 1567.
Whilst styles were initially very similar to that of Dutch delftware, as the English delft industry developed, painting styles, techniques and shapes became increasingly varied to meet an ever-growing market. This versatility is evident in inscribed commemorative wares.
Plates inscribed in this way with three initials and a date often commemorated a marriage. Generally the initial at the top, here ‘G’, refers to the surname of the husband and wife, whilst the two initials below, ‘A+A’, refer to their Christian names.
Production
Dates of Production: 1688
Consumer
A G
male
Materials
Earthenware
Earthenware- white
Museological Details
D.O.C/19
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