CIRCA 1600

Edward Pinto records this wassail bowl as one of the earliest survivors of its type. Its incised ornament is similar to the later recorded 'armorial cups' of James I's reign, and as such acts as a link and forerunner to these much admired and coveted treen vessels of the early 17th century.

The act of wassailing is first recorded in Britain in the 5th century, but this design of very deep and slightly tapering bowl, on a stem and wide circular foot, for the purposes of wassailing, appears to emanate predominantly from the 17th century. The use of sycamore in the present example has allowed for its generous proportions, the slower growing and narrower beam fruitwoods such as pear (woods more readily associated with the later 'armorial cups') could have rarely borne such an example. Later examples in lignum vitae obviously exist in much larger sizes, but these appear not to pre-date the second quarter of the 17th century.

Hickstead Place is a small two-storey manor house of brick with a Horsham slabbed roof. In the 13th century it was owned by Matthew de Cumbe, and by the end of the 16th century the manor was acquired by the Stapleys of Twineham.