A Charles II silver Tot Cup.

A Charles II silver small Drinking Cup, London 1672, by David Rutty. The front of the cup has pricked decoration which originally framed owner's initials. A number of other later initials are engraved under the base. \nWhilst drinking vessels from this period survive in relatively large numbers, this miniature cup, perhaps a tot cup, is a rare survivor. The maker, David Rutty, who obtained his freedom in 1650, has been identified by David Mitchell ['Silversmiths in Elizabethan and Stuart London']. Rutty was dead by 1676 but his business was carried on by his widow and a former apprentice, Samuel Webb. Condition: \n

The cup is of good colour and surface. It has had the original owner's initials on the front of the cup erased and later 17th and 18th century initials added underneath. A bruise has been removed from the side of the body and scraped back, leaving a small rectangular break in the colour; a tiny split in the rim has had an ancient repair; the colour underneath has been broken in places where later initials have been engraved.

Height - 3.40 cm.; Width - 6.50 cm.; Depth - 4.60 cm.; Weight - 43.20 gms.