A Fine Silver, French Stirrup Cup

Object Number: #361

Clermont-Ferrand c 1730
Antoine Neyrat II

Date’s letter: “A” with a crown for the period around 1730 (s.  Cassan, 1984, p. 45)

Control’s hallmark: “O” with a crown (s. Cassan, 1984, p.  45)

Maker’s mark: “AN” under double fleur-de-lys for Antoine Neyrat II (s.  Cassan, 1984, p. 68)

Length: 12,2 cm (4,8 in.); Weight: 108 gr.
Engraved at the top of the border: “Pierre Moraud”

Pictures

Detailed Information

A Fine Silver, French Stirrup Cup

The present stirrup cup represents a wonderful, fine and in a very good condition object of the hunting culture. It has a lengthy, boat-form, round ending and incurved side-rims. On the exterior, it is left plain, while the only decorative element is an engraved ring on the rim. The marks are punched quite clearly on the exterior side of the object. An engraving of the name of the beholder of the cup: “Pierre Moraud”.

The stirrup cup is an invention of the late seventeenth-century. Its low, flat form with the incurved rim is typical for this object. This form had permitted the hunter to carry the cup always with him attached on his belt, and in order to be able to leave the cup down even on uneven ground while drinking.

Maker

Antoine Neyrat was born around 1697 and was an active silversmith from 1722 to 1745. In 1738 his daughter got married to Pierre Lebrun, counsellor of the King at the court of Aydes in Clermont-Ferrand.

Literature

Claude-Gérard Cassan, Les Orfèvres de L’Auvergne: Auvergne – Bourbonnais – Marche – Velay, De Nobele: 1984