gilded metal, bears maker's marks ELKINGTON’S/ DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND ART 21cm high
Footnote
Provenance: Paul Reeves, London Note: An example of this electrotype impression of a late 16th century German cup was bought by the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) in 1852 from Elkington and Co. of Birmingham who had copied it from a cup in the British Museum (museum number .103). The museum bought electrotypes during the 19th century as part of its growing collection of reproductions. Electrotype copies were used as design aids for artists, artisans and students in the government schools of design, hence the inscription ‘Department of Science and Art’ on the base. This collection enabled people to look closely at both modern and historic objects that might otherwise be inaccessible. These reproductions were intended to improve the quality of Britain's manufacturing products by getting good design into workshops and improving the taste of the general public. Electrotypes were shown at international exhibitions and were sold or exchanged with museums and colleges around the world. The V&A’s electrotype register tells us that this cup was copied by Elkington in 1852 and was therefore one of the earliest electrotypes produced for the museum by the company. The V&A now has three copies of this same cup in its collection, all produced by Elkington at around the same time, however more versions than this were produced of which the current lot is an example.