Early Victorian silver water or wine goblet

Early Victorian silver water or wine goblet with panelled body and base. The bowl is hand-chased with finely detailed sections of floral work and foliage, while the interior is delicately gilded.

With its flat base, thin stem and conical bowl, the basic goblet shape has remained almost entirely unchanged in its form for centuries. When made in silver the goblet is often called a wine cup.

In the mid-fifteenth century the gentry owned goblets crafted in silver. Superstitious drinkers in the seventeenth century believed that precious metals promoted better health, and so the demand for silver goblets increased. The arrival of silver plate in the mid 1800s meant that more people could afford to introduce a bit of luxury into their lifestyle.