Loving cup with cover

Paul Lamerie, the maker of this loving cup, was appointed goldsmith to the king in 1716. His long career began when the Queen Anne style was paramount and lasted through the early stages of the Rococo in the 1730s to the extravagantly energetic phase of the style in the 1740s. This loving cup, silver-gilt throughout, is an example of the full-blown Rococo of the early 1740s, of which Lamerie was the leading exponent. The bell-shaped cup with a pear-shaped "dropped bottom" is completely covered with chased ornament. The figure and most of the surrounding applied ornament allude to the young Bacchus as the god of wine. The ribbed handles are vine branches and the cover finial is a bunch of grapes. The arms of the owner, a member of the Hodgson family, are engraved on the side, with the motto "Pax et Fides" (Peace and Faith). Lamerie maintained a busy workshop that catered to London clientele but also exported much of its product to Europe, particularly Russia. He was praised for bringing great prosperity to the craft during his mature years.