Cup in the form of a stag

Christoph Beham

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 520

Hunting and falconry were central to aristocratic life, and cups in the form of game animals or pets were popular tableware for court banquets and their associated rituals. Sometimes known as Wilkomm cups, their removable heads could be filled with wine or spirits and offered to guests in greeting, who would then finish their contents in one gulp. Banqueting was important in other institutional settings too, making Wilkomm cups essential accoutrements for town, city, and guild officials.

Cup in the form of a stag, Christoph Beham (master 1572, died 1610), Partly gilded silver, gemstone, German, Augsburg

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