Cup and cover 1560 - 1570

This cup and cover was made in England, around 1575, by Affabel Partridge. It combines silver with a semi-translucent stone known as agate. Agate is a form of chalcedony, celebrated for its banded appearance. The process of carving it requires great skill, using abrasive techniques to reveal its beauty, while the silversmith also deploys considerable expertise. Note the crisp definition of the silver details, achieved through hammering, chasing, and engraving. The cover is topped with a cast serpent. The labour invested in this cup would have been considerable. The cup is a testament to the highly specialised workshops that supplied luxury goods to wealthy Elizabethans. It also indicates the premium placed on elaborate display at the time. By considering both the lapidary’s work and the silversmith's, we come to appreciate the full significance of this object as more than a show of opulence; it represents a marriage of art and craft.