Lacock Cup


The Lacock Cup is a late medieval silver standing-cup. It was made for secular use, which makes it a rare survival, but was early in its life given to St Cyriac's Church in Lacock, Wiltshire, England, who used it as a chalice. It is now in the British Museum, where it is usually on display.

History

The cup dates from the mid-15th century, and has been described as "one of the most significant pieces of secular English medieval silver". Most such ing cups have been destroyed, or were altered due to changing fashion. However, the Lacock Cup was donated to the church soon after creation, and so it has survived in its original condition. The cup's function changed after the English Reformation, as new religious practices meant that a larger communion cup was required to hold sufficient wine for the whole congregation, in a time when strict laws prohibited the use of religious images. Since 1962, it has been on display at the British Museum.

Sale

In 2009, with mounting expenditure on maintaining and restoring the church's structure, the Lacock Parochial Church Council had the cup valued, with experts estimating the value at £1.8 million. The LPCC then applied for a faculty to sell the cup, with the British Museum interested in changing the loan into a purchase agreement. Local resident Geoffrey Fox legally challenged the sale, but at a consistory court in December 2013, the Reverend Justin Gau said he was satisfied the sale circumstances were justified.

Joint purchase

On 24 December 2013, sale was completed to a joint bid from the British Museum and the Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, for a sum of £1.3 million, raised through private donation as well as grant funds from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The Art Fund. As part of the sale agreement, two replicas will be made: one for liturgical use at the church; one to go on display at the Wiltshire Museum, when the original is not on display.