Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

A late 19th century German silver wager cup, modelled as a lady in 17th century costume, import marks for Julius Blanckensee, London 1903, and bearing mark for S. Blanckensee & Sons, with late 19th century German hallmarks for Karl Kurz Silberwarenfabrik of Kesselstadt, height 15.5cm. £150-£200

Originating in German in the 16th century, the wager cup is a drinking vessel intended for use at a wedding ceremony, giving rise to the alternative name ‘wedding cup’. The groom would drink from the larger cup formed by the skirt and the bride would drink from the smaller cup held above the figure’s head. They were also used for drinking games in Victorian England, where men bet on whether they could finish one cup without spilling from the other.