The Lacock Cup is one of England's most important silver objects, and has a unique history. Made in the 1430s, it is one of a handful of pieces of secular silver from the Middle Ages, which survived the turmoil of the Reformation. Originally created as a drinking cup for feasting in the fifteenth century, the Cup later became a sacred chalice for the community of Lacock in Wiltshire at the parish church of Saint Cyriac. With an unbroken local heritage of over 400 years, this piece was a central feature of religious ceremony until the late twentieth century.
The remarkable story of this special cup is brought to life in this short and accessible book. Charting the journey of the Cup, from fifteenth century medieval society, through the Reformation and later Civil War to the present day, this book explores the Cup's role as a communion vessel in its local setting of Lacock, and its treatment at the British Museum where it has been on loan since 1962.