62 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Four hundred and seventy-eight headings to catalogue slips 

 have been printed with the hand-press in the Department ; 116 

 objects have been mounted on tablets ; five boards have been 

 covered with paper ; and a number of urns have been 

 repaired. 



The collection of matrices of seals has been examined and 

 classified, the Slip Catalogue being at the same time compared 

 and corrected. 



The Peccadeau de I'isle collection from Bruniquel has been 

 examined, and duplicate specimens eliminated. 



A catalogue on slips of the Glass collection has been begun. 



The framed casts of Egyptian types of races have been 

 hung upon the walls of the north-eastern staircase, and 

 general labels have been affixed to them. 



II. — Acquisitions. 



Royal Gold Cup. 



The most important acquisition of the year, and indeed the 

 most important single object acquired by the department 

 since it was established, is the Royal Gold Cup, which is of 

 the highest interest, not only as a work of art, but for its 

 singular history. 



It is a covered cup, or hanap, of gold, with ten subjects from 

 the life of St. Agnes, vividly portrayed in translucent enamel 

 round the outside of the bowl and cover ; within are two 

 medallions, also enamelled, the one with another subject of 

 St. Agnes, the other with a half length of the Saviour. On 

 the lower part of the foot are the four Evangelistic symbols 

 in enamel, and the base is formed of a coronet of leaves and 

 pearls ; a similar decoration once surrounded the cover, but 

 like the finial of the cover, it is now lost. The stem has at 

 some time been elongated and ornamented with Tudor roses, 

 and a band has been added in Spain with an enamelled in- 

 scription which furnished the clue to the history of the cup. 



The history is as follows : — 



It appears first in an inventory of Charles VI., King of 

 France, so minutely described as to leave no doubt of its 

 identity, with the cup given to that King by his uncle Jean, 

 Due de Berry, in 1391. The Duke had probably had it made 

 with the intention of giving it to his brother, Charles V., who 

 had a special devotion for St. Agnes, his birthday being on 

 her day ; but the death of Charles V. in 1380 may have pre- 

 vented the gift from being offered. From the inventory it 

 appears to have had a detached stand with an enamelled 

 medallion of the Virgin, and dragon feet. We next find it, 

 but without the stand, in documents of Henry VI. of Eng- 

 land, grandson of Charles VI. How it came to England has 



not 



