Fig. 1. Silvergilt Chalice and Paten, circa ISOO-IS1O. From Leominster, Herefordshire. Paten S!/- in. diameter. Chalice 84- in. high. ENGLISH CHURCH PLATE BY A. C. CRIMWADE HE exhibition of church plate held in the summer and in the Lincoln Art Gallery we knew nothing else of our native T was one of the many time heritage of that excellent displays inspired , we should have foundation in by the Festival season realise this single piece to in provincial centres and a the artistic energies that were worthy contribution to the entities at work to rear such study of ecclesiastical art in England. as Salisbury or Lincoln Cathedrals, arrangement The chronological Dolgelly cup which the of the plate clearly showed helps us to see, not as the half-empty phases the varying ing shells of today, echo­ of the silversmith's response to the but filled with colour, the glitter on him demands made gold and the flowing of by changes of ritual interpreted movements of precious vestments. the prevailing in the light of This sacerdotal artistic spirit of each age. splendour continued and increased of this In pursuance up till the Reformation, right theme, the exhibition was composed which, whatever its contributions number of excellently of a large to our national character, selected pieces of the first must always leave a deep sense ance connected, import­ of deprivation for the like the arias of a Handel oratorio diminution of the artistic impulse a continuo of standard , by that followed it and the examples of the XVIth, XVIIth iconoclastic zeal it produced. and XVIIIth centuries drawn Examples of the last period from Lincoln's own county, included of the old traditions while variety and added interest the rich Leominster chalice was afforded by a early and paten of the selection of some secular pieces years of the XVIth century, in church possession, a lopped which, even though few pieces of foreign origin illustrating of its projecting masks or crochets on external influences at the whim on . the base the native style, and related objects of some past user, remains a most extremely such as the survival of imposing rare leather chalice case of the last phase of the Gothic goldsmith's from the XIVth century Of nearly the art. Cawston, Norfolk, episcopal rings same date-perhaps slightly earlier-is enamels. and Limoges delightful smaller the chalice from Blaston, Leics., remark­ The organisers able for the exceptional were justly proud of the privilege delicacy of the engraved crucifix extended to them of on the base, set in a panel the loan of the superb chalice and filled with ivy-like foliage on paten of the XIIIth century a pricked ground. Two more chalices from the National Museum pre-Reformation of the immediate of Wales, usually known as the period call for Dolgelly chalice from the example mention, firstly the neighbourhood of its happy discovery of 1529 at Westminster Cathedral shepherd in 1890 by a fine black-letter with its sheltering from a storm in inscriptions on bowl and alone had a cave. If this secondly, the foot, and survived of English mediaeval interesting chalice from Brant Broughton craftsmanship, Lincs., some twenty , years earlier than the last, suggested

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direction from the head of the reformed establishme!lt led to ~ r~sh to comply with the regulatlOns and it IS from the imme­ diately subsequent years that the great maj?r~ty of Elizabethan cups date. The exhIbItIOn demonstrated this by the inclusion of fifteen examples of 1568 and 1569, either hall-marked or engraved for these two years some ?f w~ich bore the fleur-de-lys mark occurnng In two cases with the maker's mark lover M, found on a large number of Lincolnshire cups, and from the analogy of the city arms (argent on a cross gules, a fleur-de-lys .or), and the locality of the examples WIth thIS maker's mark, fairly Fig.1L (Left) Elizabethan Communion Cup, parcel-gilt, 1563. certaInly assumed to be the Lincoln mark. From Digswell, Herts. 6t in. high. (Centre) Silvergilt Cup and Cover, engraved with the Earl of Obedience to the 1569 ordinance in Leicester's badge, 1568. From Kenilworth. spirit if not in letter, was occasionally 'met (Right) Elizabethan Communion Cup, 1569. From North by .the donation, or perhaps purchase, of a Reston, Lincs. 5~~ in. high. plaIn secular cup for the altar, of which the attractive cup from Kenilworth of that in the catalogue as perhaps of Italian origin, though year affords an example. This form, with the wide­ approximating very closely to the last pre-Reformation spreading bowl, appears to be a development of the type of English chalice in its sexafoil foot and the lines Tudor "font" cup, and is perhaps the most successful of the bowl. Several XIVth and XVth century patens of the many forms. that secular cups took at this period, accompanied the chalices shown, demonstrating some of and not at all unsUltable for the sacred purpose to which the many varied forms taken by the engraved devices at it was put in this case. their centres, and hinting at the wide range of these No specifically ecclesiastical form developed for the subjects which is still apparent in surviving examples. flagon in whic~ the communion wine was conveyed to The results of the Reformation produced as great a the altar and In consequence we find a number of in­ volte-face in the development of the ecclesiastical gold­ teresting secular pieces existing in churches to serve the smith's work as it is perhaps possible to find in any purpose. These were represented by the examples from other sphere. The desire to abolish any resemblance to Buslingthorpe, Lincs., of 1578 and that of 1581 from the vessels of the "Popish superstition" resulted in an Louth. An unusual form of cup of this latter year, adaptation of secular forms and the banning of any showing an adaptation of the beaker form associated with decoration other than mere formal borders and the churches of the Low Countries was lent by the Gold­ engraving of foliage and strapwork. At first, in the fifth smiths' Company. decade of the century, with the restoration of the cup The early years of the XVIIth century saw an increase to the laity during Edward VI's reign, some fine large in the size of the cup, whether from a corresponding rise cups of handsome proportions were produced. These in the number of communicants anxious to show their seem mostly to have survived in or near London, and orthodoxy in a time of rising nonconformism, or from the absence of any example in the Lincoln exhibition a desire for display, is not clear. Whereas the average was, somewhat regrettably, the one phase of the craft not size of the Elizabethan cup is some six to seven inches, represented. The swing of the ecclesiastical pendulum we find such a cup as that from Market Rasen measuring under Mary Tudor must have brought many an old chalice out of 4iding into use again, and as yet no specimen of pre-Reformation type dating from her time seems to have been discovered. After her brief reign, reversion to the Protestant forms was pro­ bably somewhat confused, and in conse­ quence we do not find that the accepted form of Elizabethan cup is often met with before the 'sixties. At Lincoln the earliest shown was that of 1563 from Digswell, Herts. In 1569 Archbishop Parker included in his Visitation Questions to incumbents of parishes the enquiry whether they "do min­ ister in any profane cups, bowles, dishes, or chalices heretofore used at masse, or els in a decent communion cup provided and Fig. Ill. (Left) Elizabethan Fla\,(on, silvergilt, 1578. From kept for the same purpose only," implying Buslingthorpe, Lincs. 8 in. high. (Centre) Communion Cup and Cover, parcel-gilt, 158r. The in the question that much making-do with Goldsmiths' Company. Cup, 7 in. high. secular pieces or old chalices had been (Right) Elizabethan Flagon. silvergilt, 1581. From Louth, common till then. The definiteness of this Lincs. 7 in. high. 139 APOLLO

~ ,~ spread was the practice of such .1 benefactions. The lovely and rare cup from Tong, l)'"', : from the same hand as the of 16II at the Victoria cup fl:! ! and Albert Museum, the Pierpont ~.~' Morgan . I cup at Christ's College, Cambridge -:;: -:';: '''- ''1.:., . Duke of , a salt of the ·1, Bedford's and a cup in the l collection, ate Sir John Noble's , -'-)'1 hints at the wealth of secular art preserved in .'. ~~ . even '. our smallest and least-known churches. Later in the reign of Charles I the influence bishop Laud of Arch­ • , with his leanings towards an "U ceremonial enriched of a traditional nature, appearance is reflected in the of rich communion se Gothic ts showing distinct influence. An excellent example I Leek of this is the Wootton set of chalice, covered ciborium of 1638. and flagon It is obvious that the maker of had an early this chalice XVlth century cup such as that Leominster to from serve as a prototype to his somewhat gauche restatement of the pre-Reformation may form. We Fig. IV (Left) also note the reappearance James I Silvergilt Steeple Cup, of the sacred monogram Welland, r6r3. From IHS on the cover of the Wo res. rst in. high. ciborium, as significant that the (Centre) Silver sacrificial nature gilt Cup with rock-crystal bowl, of the sacrament was again in From circa r6ro. The great emphasis. Tong, Salop. ut in. high. contrasts in size between the magnificent (Right) James I Silvergilt and the small flagon Steeple Cup, r6r8. From Ambleside, bowl of the chalice is perhap Westmorland. by a desire s explained r 8~ in. high. for display; or we may be tempted from this to deduce that, when large numbers of communicants ten and were present as a half inches, though it is true that at the great festivals, frequent reconsecra­ occur, sometimes small examples tions of the cup secular in origin, as the plain were the accepted custom rather Old Bolingbroke cup from regr~ttable delay than a bearing the rare King's Lynn in the expeditious conduct of dated 1632. mark and serVlce. the The early part of this century The munificence which was on saw the growing practice small occasion lavished on of the presentation of fine secular country churches at this period i cups to churches, by the s admirably shown usually, we may suppose, left as wonderful service from Staunton pious bequests. Among of the Harold. One these the "steeple cup" makes two chalices dates from 1640, a frequent appearance, while maker's mark R.B., perhaps a popular form of the remainder of the set of 1654, gift from its ecclesiastical chalice comprising another looking finial, though we must, , two covered ciboria, two flagons of course, remember that and , two candlesticks this form was extremely popular an almsdish are by that prince from 1600 to 1630. makers of XVIIth century The two examples from Well and, , whose mark is a hound sejant. Worcs., and Ambleside, decoration Here the surface Westmorland, are both fine pieces, which appears on the Leek and the distance been Wootton set has between their provenances serves dispensed with and we have a concentration to show how wide-I proportions on fine and graceful line which is so characteristic

Fig. V. Silvergilt Communion Service, one Chalice r From 640, the remainder r654, maker's Staunton Harold, Leics. Can mark a hound sejant. dlesticks, 23:! in. high. ' ENGLISH CHURCH PLATE

Fig. VI. Silvergilt Candlestick and Almsdish from a set of Altar Plate, 1777. From Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin. Candlesti ck, 30 in. high. Dish, 28} in. long. of this maker. The ciboria in particular show a remarkable affinity to the best elements of English XVth century plate and reveal the inborn tradi­ tions that run through English silver down the centuries like I the lineaments of a noble family reappearing from gen­ I eration to generation. We may pause toremark that thiswon­ derful set was made at the heightof the Commonwealth, under the nose of the Puritan I regime in London, and wit­ nesses to the continuing belief that the glories of the Estab­ lished Church were but over­ shadowed and would ye t return. The exuberance in all art forms that accompanied the Restoration naturally perm­ eated to the church vessels, and the lavishly decorated service from the Bishop of under Queen Anne. From then till the end 0 Durham's Chapel in Auckland Castle is an excellent XVIIIth century the standard for church plate w; example of this change of taste. Starting with a French the most part regrettably low, though occasionally: chalice made in Paris in I650, which shows close affinity by the work of the Huguenots above the usual mee to the plainness of the Staunton Harold plate, the service level. The shape of the communion cup re::ch· grew with English pieces of r659 and r660, showing the nadir with an ugly bucket-shaped bowl on badly mixture of Italian form in the candlesticks and Dutch portioned spreading foot, and decoration is usually decoration of the Vianen school in the flagons and alms­ fined to pedestrian renderings of the sacred mone dish, which in spite of this derivation from different or a dedicatory inscription. Towards the end c sources combine to form a magnificent collection of century, however, the classical influence of Adam br English baroque metalwork, imposing alike in size and new interest and was turned to good decorative ace the fine technique employed in them. The candlesticks as in the large service from Boston of I776, whi: are no less than thirty-seven-and-a-half inches high and almsdish and candlesticks from Dublin Cathedr: the almsdish twentv-one in diameter. remarkably fine achievements of a period, which' One of the fine-st of all the pieces included in this best was unsurpassed in the elegance of its surroun, exhibition was the magnificent pair of candlesticks from It would be difficult to find a more effective tran, Harthill, Yorks., of I675. These, the gift of Peregrine, of the classical tradition into another age and miliet Duke of Leeds, may perhaps have been made as secular the graceful candlestick from this service. . pieces, for although large compared with most domestic The use of small secular pieces for commumon candlesticks, fourteen-and-a-half-inches, they do not such as porringers and beakers, which is often me~ possess the vertical emphasis of the Bishop Auckland was illustrated by the inclusion of a number or examples. Their proportions, however, are superb, and examples. An interesting pair of candlestIcks the balance of the deep socket and wide base produce Louth, dating from about I725, bore an umdc: an appearance of greater size than they actually possess. maker's mark, W.C., and demonstrated a praise',' A happy chance has preserved the original leather cases attempt on the part of this unknown and pres~ for the pair, which adds greatly to their interest. Their provincial silversmith to adapt the usual form or maker, whose initials are LB., is well known for other domestic candlestick of the period to the enlarg~ fine pieces of this period. of seventeen inches for use on the altar. A cha!: The promise of the mid-XVIlth century of a revival Paul De Lamerie of I750, remarkable for its ne of standards in church vessels seems to have waned to­ of all the famous master's sense of proporr\O; wards the end of that epoch, perhaps to be explained by fine design, came from Redbourne, Lines.. "r. the revival of Dutch Puritan influence after William Ill's exhibition was rounded off by a few examples. succession, which does not appear to have been overcome XIXth century and modern interpretations of tr;;c by the short renaissance of the Tory High Church party forms.