With superb modelling and finely textured surface to resemble hair. The interior gilded and engraved with a monogram AS beneath a crown
The interior has the interesting monogram of AS beneath a crown. The latter appears to be the Imperial State Crown and coupled with the monogram there may be some connection to Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. Although Albert died in 1861 the date of the stirrup cup may be significant in that it signified the Golden Jubilee of Victoria's reign and the 30th anniversary that Albert was made Prince Consort, The initials AS beneath a crown appear in a number of places in the Victoria and Albert Museum representing Albert of Saxe-Coburg.
Please contact us for further information
Stirrup cups first appear around 1770 and were traditionally modelled from sheet silver as the head of a fox. As the 18th century progressed the quality of stirrup cups increased with the Bateman family making some particularly good cast examples in the 1790's. The advent of the 19th century saw great makers, like Paul Storr, produce some of the very best; more importantly they occasionally departed from the usual fox head and fahioned cups in the form of a deer's head. Subsequently, a whole variety of animal's heads were made throughout the 19th century with some of the best appearing between 1850 and 1890. Not surprisingly hunting dogs became almost as popular a subject as foxes. Apart from Aldwinckle and Slater both Robert and James Barclay Hennell along with John Hunt made fine cast cups.
The modelling of this cup is truly sculptural and with great expression.