Drie kelken met deksel uit de collectie van de graaf van Lichtervelde en G. Vermeersch before 1880

Here we see an image of three covered goblets, likely made in the 16th or 17th century. The exact place of their production is unknown but the text at the bottom indicates that they were included in a publication by C. Plantin in Anvers (Antwerp), suggesting that they were made and housed somewhere in that vicinity. Such elaborate metalwork speaks to the wealth of the church and the aristocracy, who used objects such as these in religious services, feasts, and diplomatic ceremonies. Antwerp was a major center of trade and finance in this period, and objects like this would have played a crucial role in displays of civic and personal power. The goblets are now of interest to social historians, who study account books, inventories, and other documents to understand the changing status of luxury goods. These help us understand the political economy of Europe at the time. Art objects like these are meaningful because of the economic and political systems in which they are used.