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steeple cup
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steeple cup

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History

steeple cup, tall standing cup, the cover of which characteristically bears an obelisk finial (sometimes surmounted by a figure) that rises on scrolled brackets from the cover. With an egg-shaped or globular bowl and cover, a short baluster stem, and a tall, trumpet-shaped foot, these cups seem to have emerged only in England and for a short period between about 1590 and the 1630s. They were usually made of silver or silver gilt and appear to have been used as chalices in some cases, several having been found among collections of church plate. They are usually decorated on the bowl and cover with embossed, engraved, or chased ornament consisting of various floral and classical motifs and strapwork.