Tumbler cups were simple, amusing little vessels which never actually tumbled, because the silver in their rounded base was of a heavier weight than the sides, causing them to right themselves before they spilled their contents. Thus they were most convenient in carriages when refreshment was taken, since they could be relied upon to stay more or less upright, however rough the road or unpredictable the reactions of the horses in an emergency. These tiny cups appeared from about 1650 and were much in demand thereafter, particularly during the eighteenth century. They were usually devoid of decoration except for the owner’s crest or a little engraving, and measured from around two inches in height, seldom being more than four.

The stirrup cup was based on the shape of an animal’s head, commonly a fox or dog and occasionally a hare and was popularly used at hunts from the last few decades of the eighteenth century to just before the middle of the nineteenth century. The stirrup cup was possibly derived from the classical rhyton of terracotta, and was eventually succeeded by the practical but less picturesque cylindrical saddle flask.

Antique Collector Magazine

Strainers and wine funnels

Strainers used in the service of wine or punch were common during the eighteenth century when punch was such a favoured form ofrefreshment. They were described variously in contemporary catalogues as orange, lemon or punch strainers, the latter being larger. In the case of the small strainer the orange or lemon juice, which was used to flavour many types of punch, was poured through it into a separate bowl andthen added to the punch. The larger version was rested on the rim of the actual punch bowl and the orange or lemon juice was poured directly into the punch through it. Strainers, which were also used for wine, were often exceedingly well-made, showing attractive piercing with either one or two flat handles soldered to the rim. Sometimes the owner’s crest or initials might be engraved upon one of the handles.

The wine funnel appeared more commonly during the last four decades or so of the eighteenth century, probably because it became fashionable at about this time to decant the wine into ‘flint’ glass decanters, although they were in use far earlier. They might be undecorated or given an ornate rim and might be variously shaped including an urn shape orogee, sometimes with a detachable strainer fitted at the waist. Some had a ribbed stem which permitted air bubbles to escape, or a curved tip which prevented air from entering the liquid. Others were used for pouring spirits into square decanters and had straight spouts which tapered. A great many wine funnels, like strainers, were made in Sheffield plate.

Wine tasters and brandy warmers

Wine tasters, although not a general domestic vessel, survive in sufficient quantities to make them a less rare collector’s item than would be expected. They are shallow, circular vessels only about an inch in depth, sometimes less, and usually no more than approximately three inches in diameter. They were thus eminently portable which was one of their requirements since original examples were used by members of the vintners trade and sometimes by those who visited the vineyards abroad, who carried these little objects with them — a custom known since the fifteenth century at least. Vintners would also visit the wine vaults in the City of London and the little wine tasters would be of great use on these and similar occasions. Most wine tasters were made in silver because it was considered the best metal for the purpose. Some have a raised centre.

They usually had a horizontal handle and sometimes two, while other handles were in the form of a simple loop or ring. Many wine tasters were undecorated or sparsely so, comprising bosses and/or gadrooning, the former being quite usual by itself in a basic pattern. Others were sometimes decorated with repoussé ornament, and eighteenth century examples particularly might be embossed with a vine motif. Watch out for later, sometimes twentieth century, souvenir-type vessels, which are often cast and perhaps incorporate a Continental type of coin, for these are not intended to be taken seriously.

Brandy warmers are diminutive, lidless saucepans, with either rounded or straight sides, everted rims and often a pouring lip, depending on the type. Most examples seen today date from the mid-eighteenth century and among them are those which are very small, perhaps under three-and-a-half inches in diameter. Hallmarks are generally to be found on the rounded, tapering handle below the wooden portion, or on the outside of the vessel below the rim.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Tumbler cups and stirrup cups