364 



Old Church Plate in Wilts. 



Towards the end of the sixteenth century this rigid rule as to 

 the shape and form of the chalice began to be relaxed ; its general 

 features were continued, but in a less artistic form ; they began to 

 degenerate into the heavy cumbrous shape which became almost 

 universal during the whole of the seventeenth century. The foliated 

 strap-work ornament of the Elizabethan period in a great measure 

 disappears, and is sometimes replaced by the coat of arms of the 

 donor. For the next hundred years there was no attempt made to 

 give an ecclesiastical character to such new plate as was required. 



Amongst the first to call attention to the still existing specimens 

 of ancient Church plate, and to publish careful drawings of the then 

 known examples, were the authors of the " Specimens of Ancient 

 Church Plate," as long ago as 1845. One of the most active editors 

 was an old friend and first Secretary of the Wilts Archaeological 

 Society, the Rev. W. C. Lukis. A somewhat curious example is 

 there figured of a small chalice then belonging to the late Rev. 

 E. J. Phipps, of Devizes, and lately in his possession. It is made 

 up of three parts (bowl, stem and knop, and base), which screw 

 together. This piece has no hall-mark ; there is no reason to suppose 

 that it ever belonged to any Church in Wilts, nor is it certain that 

 it is of English make. 



Thanks to the earlier researches of Mr. Octavius Morgan, and 

 the later amplified lists given by Mr. Cripps, in his excellent work 

 on " Old English Plate," we are now enabled, not only to fix the 

 real date, but in many instances the actual maker, of existing 

 specimens, from the hall-marks which are found, with few exceptions, 

 on all English plate, both ancient and modern. It may be as well 

 here to mention what marks are to be looked for, and generally 

 found. 



They usually consist of four : — 



I. — The leopard's head. This royal symbol has been in use cer- 

 tainly as early as 1300. The so-called crowned leopard's head was 

 probably an early sign of the king's mark. It is, however, not a 

 leopard at all ; the heraldic " leopart 9i of the royal arms of England 

 means a lion passant guardant. The lion's head crowned will be 

 found generally on all pieces. 



