Guild silver
A loving cup like this one was called a greeting cup in Swedish. In the 1600s all the artisans in a city were organised in different guilds. Guilds used greeting cups on festive occasions or when the guild chose new members.These cups were often made of silver. They also functioned as a kind of insurance in case something happened to any of the guild members.
The guild master’s family could then remove one of the pendants from the cup and use the material as payment.This cup is 46.5 cm tall and 24 cm wide. It was made in 1717. It has various patterns and decorations. Around the edge hang 26 pendants marked with the artisans’ names and symbols in various styles.On the top of the lid is a figure wearing antique armour and holding a flag. Underneath the figure hangs a gilt coin from Ulrika Eleonora’s coronation.
GM:10