.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Marriage cups were traditionally used on the day of the wedding. Both the hinged bowl and the cup, shaped as a woman's dress, were filled with wine, and the bride and groom were asked to empty the cup. The bride drank form the small bowl, while the groom had to finish the larger quantity in a single draught, because the construction made it impossible to place a full cup back on the table.
This type of cup was developed in Germany in the las quarter of the 16th century. There are three Dutch examples of this form made prior to the 1651 wager cup by Gerrit Valck formerly in the Wernher collection (Christie's, London, 5 July 2000, lot 3). Valck's earliest cup dates from 1630 and is, apart from the inscription, almost identical to a cup dated 1634 (Amsterdam's Historisch Museum, Amsterdam). Altough the present cup does not bear any marks, thet were probably removed in the 19th century whem the inscription From the Sale of H.R.H. The Duke of Sussex's Effects, 1843 was added. The cup shares such similar features with two wedding cups mentioned, that it may be also attributed to Valck. Similarities can also be found in the bowl of the windmill cup by Valck in this sale (see lot 1125).The relatively large number of extant marriage cups seems to indicate that this was one of Valck's specialities (see Citroen, K.A. op. cit.).
For details of the 1843 Duke of Sussex sale see lot 1125.
This type of cup was developed in Germany in the las quarter of the 16th century. There are three Dutch examples of this form made prior to the 1651 wager cup by Gerrit Valck formerly in the Wernher collection (Christie's, London, 5 July 2000, lot 3). Valck's earliest cup dates from 1630 and is, apart from the inscription, almost identical to a cup dated 1634 (Amsterdam's Historisch Museum, Amsterdam). Altough the present cup does not bear any marks, thet were probably removed in the 19th century whem the inscription From the Sale of H.R.H. The Duke of Sussex's Effects, 1843 was added. The cup shares such similar features with two wedding cups mentioned, that it may be also attributed to Valck. Similarities can also be found in the bowl of the windmill cup by Valck in this sale (see lot 1125).The relatively large number of extant marriage cups seems to indicate that this was one of Valck's specialities (see Citroen, K.A. op. cit.).
For details of the 1843 Duke of Sussex sale see lot 1125.