Cleveland Museum of Art

Standing Cup

Virgil Solis

Date

mid- to late 1500s

Medium

gilt silver

Culture

Germany, Nuremberg

Department

Decorative Art and Design

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Large ceremonial silver cups with covers were a status symbol in the late 16th century, particularly when gilded like this superb example from Nuremberg. Stylish and grand, these cups provided the ultimate vessel from which a royal guest or aristocratic visitor could drink at a formal banquet. They came to be known as willkom, or welcome cups, as a result. The lid, mid-section, and base are all cast in sections, creating imposing height and stability for the great amount of silver used, a testament to the skill of the maker and the pocketbook of the owner.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.