Communion cup 1641 - 1642

This communion cup was crafted in the 17th century by H. Babington, most likely from hammered and raised silver. The inherent qualities of silver—its luster, malleability, and relative rarity—imbue this object with a sense of sacredness, but it is also a testament to the silversmith's skill. Shaping the metal by hand, using hammers and forming stakes, would have been labor-intensive, demanding years of training. This combination of material value and human expertise made objects like this highly prized. We might think about this cup in relation to the rise of mercantile capitalism in the 17th century. The global trade in silver, often mined in the Americas using exploited labor, fueled the production of luxury goods like this. By appreciating the material and the processes, we can move beyond the object’s immediate function, towards a wider view of its making and cultural significance.