344 Notes on the Church Plate of North Wilts. 



belt, while the King-ton St. Michael cup has foliated engraving close 

 under the rim, in addition to the ordinary belt. 



Two other cups of abnormal fashion must be mentioned; first that 

 belonging to Foxley, marked 1577, but not given to the Church till 

 a century later. This is a goblet-shaped vessel 5in. high, richly 

 ornamented, and quite unlike the chalice of the period — probably a 

 secular cup devoted afterwards to Church use. Secondly, a little 

 cup belonging to Leigh — a chapelry of Ashton Keynes — of the same 

 height as the last, with tapering bowl and baluster stem, entirely 

 plain except for three bands of gilding, one on the edge of the bowl 

 and two on the stem. It bears the date letter of 1596, and is 

 somewhat of the Tazza type, though its bowl is deep instead of 

 shallow — indeed it is much the shape of a modern wine glass. 



There are three curious little vessels at Lacock, Biddestone, and 

 Alderton, the use of which seems doubtful. The Lacock specimen is a 

 little bowl about 6in. in diameter, embossed in its interior with cockle 

 shells and a bunch of grapes in the centre. It is marked 1583. 

 That at Biddestone also has a bunch of grapes embossed on it and 

 has two plain wire handles. It is marked] 672. The Alderton 

 piece is larger and shallower, covered with an ornamentation of rows 

 and circles of embossed dots. It has two flat ears or handles and is 

 marked 1639. These little vessels have been called wine-tasters — 

 probably they have been given to serve as patens. 



During the first quarter of the seventeenth century the Elizabethan 

 type was slightly modified. The bowl grew deeper in proportion 

 to the stem and base, and the whole piece less broad in proportion 

 to its height. The mouldings of the base, too, were multiplied and 

 made more prominent. The engraved strap-work band disappears, 

 the bowl generally being plain, as in the Ditcheridge example (1627) 

 (No. 5 in the accompanying plate), though occasionally there are 

 belts of olive leaf engraving, as in the parcel-gilt Cricklade St. 

 Sampson's cup of 1615 (No. 4). 



An exceptionally beautiful cup of this period is the silver-gilt one 

 of Fittleton (1610), which has an inscription in place of the belts 

 on the bowl, and olive leaf ornament round the knot. 



Of this period, too, (1619) is a very beautiful cup at Froxfield, 



