By J. E. Nightingale, F.S.A. 



383 



Or, a fesse between three wolfs 3 heads couped sable, and the words 

 P The Guift of Sir Richard Grobham How. Barronett" 



A Flagon, with handle and cover, in silver-gilt, of the tankard 

 form, very large and massive. One of a pair formerly existing. It 

 measures 12in. in height, with a base diameter of 7|in. The body 

 is cylindrical, tapering slightly upwards, with a broad foot. The 

 date-year is 1637. Besides the leopard's head and lion passant 

 there are two other marks, the maker's R. and K. linked together, 

 also another shield containing the numeral 6 and a capital B. sur- 

 mounted by a sort of knot in the shape of a figure 8. On the foot 

 is engraved : " Dedicated to Wish ford Church. 31 



Wylye. The Chalice in use here is a very fine one, as will be 

 seen by the illustration opposite. It is of silver- gilt, and in excellent 

 preservation. A good deal of the gilding has been toned down by 

 use. It is 6fin, in height, the stem and base being hexagonal. 

 The bowl and foot are both of hammered work ; the knop is repousse^ 

 the heads, apparently female, are very well modelled, and have a 

 good deal of the character of the late fourteenth century type. The 

 usual crucifix is found on the base, with a large flower-bearing plant 

 on either side. The hall-marks consist of the leopard's head 

 crowned ; the maker's mark, a sort of fleur-de-lys surmounting a 

 vertical dotted stroke ; and the date-letter, a Lombardic capital H. 

 This indicates the year 1525, and this is apparently the correct date, 

 as the chalice corresponds in many of its details with that brought 

 from St. Alban's Abbey and presented by Sir Thomas Pope to Trinity 

 College, Oxford, the date of which is given as 1527. There are 

 not wanting, however, certain features which would incline one to 

 put it at a somewhat earlier date. It must be remembered, how- 

 ever, that in the earlier years of the sixteenth century, just on the 

 verge of the Renaissance, the rules which had previously influenced 

 all architectural and ornamental details became a good deal relaxed. 

 The inscription round the bowl has some curious defects in its spelling. 

 Space did not serve for the whole of the sentence. It runs as fol- 

 lows : " + CALICEM • SALUTARI ■ ACCIPIVM • ET • IN * NOM " (sic) 



Round the base is inscribed : "in ' domino * confido." The Paten 



2 c 2 



