Two-Handled Cup
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.This iconic early eighteenth-century silver cup, which exemplifies the purity and grace of early American church silver, was made around 1712 for the First Church of Christ Congregational in Milford, Connecticut. The silversmith John Dixwell supplied a great deal of silver to congregants such as Alice Buckingham, which would become gifts to churches around New England. This cup is particularly fine, with lively S-scroll handles on a generous cylindrical body. It retains a beautiful patina, and the original engraving executed in a beautiful hand.
The cup’s provenance is impeccable. It was donated by Alice Newton Buckingham (b. 1664), youngest daughter of the second pastor of Milford Church, Reverend Roger Newton. It was likely commissioned by Alice Buckingham to honor her husband, Daniel Buckingham (1636–1712), a church elder who died in 1712.
The cup’s provenance is impeccable. It was donated by Alice Newton Buckingham (b. 1664), youngest daughter of the second pastor of Milford Church, Reverend Roger Newton. It was likely commissioned by Alice Buckingham to honor her husband, Daniel Buckingham (1636–1712), a church elder who died in 1712.
Artwork Details
- Title: Two-Handled Cup
- Maker: John Dixwell (1680/81–1725)
- Date: ca.1712
- Geography: Made in Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Silver
- Dimensions: H. 5 7/8 in., Wt. 11 oz 5 dwt. (14.9 cm, 350 Grams)
- Credit Line: Promised Gift of Roy J. Zuckerberg and Tara E. Kelleher, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary
- Object Number: L.2011.88.7
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing