Cup and cover

Greater London, England

This cup is, unusually, made of gold. Its decoration and technique is typical of the work of the goldsmith Anthony Nelme, but he died before it was made so must be the work of his son, Francis, who is not as well known. Francis, like his father, sometimes had work by other goldsmiths stamped with this own mark, which might account for the exceptional quality of the cup. It is engraved with the name Samuel Lambert Esq, about whom nothing is known, but who was perhaps the original owner. It must have changed hands soon after it was made, because the engraved coat of arms, of Sir Thomas Mostyn, partly covers the date letter. In the 19th century, it had richly enamelled filigree bands added to the bowl and stem. There had long been debate about whether the bands were original until Victor, 3rd Lord Rothschild, to whom the cup descended in the 20th century, established that the scratch weight engraved on the base of the cup, which records its weight when made, is less than the weight including the bands, indicating that they were a later addition. It was then decided to remove them. The cup has a long Rothschild family histoy. It was one of two belonging to Mayer Carl von Rothschild, from the Frankfurt branch who bequeathed it to his daughter Emma, who married Nathaniel, 1st Lord Rothschild of the English branch. It descended to Victor, 3rd Lord Rothschild who in turn gave it to his son, the present Lord Rothschild, as a wedding present.

Earliest Rothschild collector: Mayer Carl von Rothschild; b.1820, d.1886

Credit: Waddesdon (Rothschild Family)