From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Late medieval silver standing-cup
Lacock Cup
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/LacockCup-BM.JPG/250px-LacockCup-BM.JPG) Lacock Cup as displayed in the British Museum
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Material
| Silver
|
---|
Size
| 33cm high
|
---|
Created
| Mid-Fifteenth Century
|
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Present location
| British Museum
,
London
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The
Lacock Cup
is a late
medieval
silver
standing-cup. It was made for secular use, which makes its survival very rare, but was early in its life given to
St Cyriac's Church
in
Lacock
,
Wiltshire
,
England
, who used it as a
chalice
. It is now in the
British Museum
, where it is usually on display.
History
[
edit
]
The cup dates from the mid-15th century and has been described as "one of the most significant pieces of secular English medieval silver".
[1]
Most such
feasting
cups have been destroyed or were altered due to changing fashion.
However, the Lacock Cup was donated to the church soon after creation and so it has survived in its original condition.
[1]
The cup's function changed after the
English Reformation
, as new religious practices meant that a larger communion cup was required to hold sufficient wine for the whole congregation during a time when strict laws prohibited the use of religious images.
[2]
Since 1962, it has been on display at the
British Museum
.
[2]
Sale
[
edit
]
In 2009, with mounting financial pressure on maintaining and restoring the church's structure, the Lacock
Parochial Church Council
(LPCC) had the cup valued at £1.8 million.
[3]
The LPCC then applied for a faculty (licence) to sell the cup with the British Museum interested in changing the loan into a purchase agreement.
[3]
Local resident Geoffrey Fox legally challenged the sale, but at
consistory court
in December 2013, the Reverend Justin Gau said he was satisfied the circumstances of the sale were justified.
[2]
Joint purchase
[
edit
]
On 24 December 2013, the sale was completed by a joint bid from the British Museum and the
Wiltshire Museum
,
Devizes
, for a sum of £1.3 million which were raised through private donations as well as grant funds from the
National Heritage Memorial Fund
and
The Art Fund
.
[1]
As part of the sale agreement, two replicas will be made: one for liturgical use at the church
[4]
and one to go on display at the Wiltshire Museum when the original is not on display.
[1]
References
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Lacock Cup
.