The Burlington magazine

by Unknown

PLATE III

SWEETMEAT DISH AND GILT STANDING-SALT BELONGING TO WINCHESTER COLLEGE

GILT CUP WITH COVER BELONGING TO WINCHESTER COLLEGE

From the slight records from which it is possible to gain information, and for which I am much indebted to Mr. T. F. Kirby (the bursar) and Mr. M. J. Rendall, it is very evident that at one time Winchester College was unusually rich in plate, and it is most interesting to have brought to light the few beautiful specimens that still remain, for not only were silver lovers unaware of its existence, but the college authorities had little notion of the rarity and value of their pieces. They are all in an extraordinarily fine state of preservation, and have not suffered in any way from repairing or regilding. It is a source of comfort that, belonging to such an institution as Winchester College, they are beyond the reach of the American millionaire, and will receive all proper care from the authorities. As the plate is so little known, I have thought it best to describe each important piece in catalogue form.

[Plate I.]—Silver-gilt cup with cover, called ‘The Election Cup’; height, 17½ ins.; diameter, 6½ ins.; weight, 69 oz. 9 dwt. The bowl, which resembles in shape the Anathema and Leigh cups, is moveable, and attaches to the stem by a double socket and flange; it is embossed with decorated and graduated escallops on a matted ground. The stem is of channelled and truncated form, finishing in palm-like points where it meets the bowl and foot, which is similar in decoration to the rest of the cup. The base is edged by an open scrolled moulding formed of leaves surmounted by a ladder moulding, finishing in a very bold and unusually tall cresting. The cover to this remarkable cup is of cupola shape, rising to a slender shaft fashioned like the stem and necked by a cinque-foil; this supports a Tudor crown, the cap showing a surface once filled in with enamel; the finials and bands belonging to the crown are missing. The cover is embossed in the same manner as the bowl, and bordered with the same moulding and tall cresting as the base, pierced in both cases to hold precious stones, which are now replaced by coloured glass. The cup is in remarkable preservation, and has its original gilding. It has no hall-marks, but is, without doubt, English, circa 1520; the boldness of the cresting and workmanship, together with the shape of the bowl, exactly coincides with the few contemporary English pieces in existence. It was presented by Warden More in 1523, and is the sole remaining piece from the wonderful store of gothic plate once possessed by the college.

[Plate II.]—A rose-water dish, parcel gilt, 16 ins. in diameter; weight, 48 oz. II dwt.; hall-mark, London 1562; maker’s mark, a unicorn’s head in a shield. The border of the dish, which is gilt, and 2 ins. in width, is engraved with panels of strapwork and arabesques, enclosing the words, in Lombardic lettering, RADOLPHUS HENSLOWE A^o DNI 1563 CUI DEUS RETRIBUAT IN ILL DIE HANC PELVIM CUM SUO GUTTURNIO DE NOVO FECIT. The centre is composed of one boss raised on another enclosing a print bearing the Wykeham arms enamelled in their tinctures; argent two chevronels sable, between three roses gules, barbed and seeded proper within a garb. Round the lower base runs the legend, also in Lombardic lettering, MANERS MAKET MAN QUOTHE WYLLYAM WYKEHAM. The face of this boss is decorated with baskets of fruit and trophies of arms in repoussé, gilt on a matted ground; the bason of the dish is of plain silver. ¶ The companion ewer, with cover (height, 8½ ins.; weight, 47 oz. 11 dwt., and with marks the same as dish), is of unusually beautiful proportions. The cover, of depressed form, is surmounted by a rosace finial containing the Wykeham arms in enamel; the rest of the cover is embossed with baskets of fruit and trophies of arms. The body of the ewer is cylindrical, and this, as well as the narrow spout, is decorated at the top and centre with gilt bands of scrolled arabesques, enclosing engraved medallions of heads in the foreign taste. The stem is fluted, and the foot covered with a repoussé of a lion’s mask and human heads in cartouches between bunches of fruit, and is edged with reeded and ovolo mouldings. The billet is formed of two masks in profile enclosing a bunch of leaves, and the graceful bow handle is engraved down the back with panels of arabesques. This beautiful dish and ewer much resemble those belonging to Lord Newton, of Lyme, exhibited in 1902 at the Burlington Fine Arts Club, and possess all the characteristics of the finest Elizabethan work. Both dish and ewer are in perfect preservation, and have the original parcel gilding.

[Plate IIIa.]—Sweetmeat dish of tazza shape; diameter, 7 ins.; height, 5 ins.; weight, 15 oz. 9 dwt.; hall-mark, London 1594. The bowl is engraved on the inside, with two bands of strapwork enclosing panels of arabesque design; the centre is of similar decoration surrounded by a double strap. The stem is plain save for an embossed ring indented with dotted lines, the same decoration being repeated on the foot between a double strap, and connected to the stem by a ladder moulding. The piece is singularly simple in its ornamentation, and it should be observed how much of its beauty is dependent on the perfection of the plain line engraving. These dishes were used for sweetmeats and handed to the guests; the tazza form was taken from the Italian and French dishes that were so much in vogue in those countries during the sixteenth century.

[Plate IIIb.]—Small standing salt, gilt; height, 4½ ins.; weight, 15 oz. 9 dwt.; hallmark, London 1596. It is in the form of a hexagonal plinth; the panels forming the sides are filled with an upright design of foliated arabesques in low relief on a matted ground, divided at the angles by a plain ribbed moulding, connected at the top and base by a fine ladder moulding between two fillets; the top and base coincide in design, and are composed of a slight ogee embossed with a lea moulding of Persian origin. The simple repetition of design throughout this little standing salt constitutes its charm, each space being most admirably filled. The cover to this salt is, unfortunately, missing; it would probably have been of cupola shape, bearing a vase finial surmounted by a little figure.