Fuddling Cup
CultureEnglish
Date1639
MediumEarthenware with tin glaze (delftware)
DimensionsOverall: 3 1/4 inches (8.26 cm)
Credit LineGift of Frank P. Burnap
Object number54-41
InscribedInscribed within star: "E A 1639"
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 112
Collections
Gallery LabelThese three cups are not only joined by their entwined handles, but are also internally interconnected. With phrases such as "Fill this cup and drink it up" inscribed on other cups of this type, the unwitting drinker was deceived into drinking the contents of all the cups, rather than only one, thus leaving the drinker in a be-"fuddled" state.
Both practical and playful, British drinking vessels came in many forms and sizes. Fermented beverages such as wine and ale provided a safe alternative to the often unsafe water supplies of 17th- and 18th-century towns. Ale was served at all meals and consumed by all strata and ages of society in mugs or drunk convivially in a large tankard, such as the delftware example in this case. Also popular, wine from France, Spain, Portugal and Italy was stored in casks and decanted into bottles for serving. Cleverly crafted fuddling cups and puzzle cups added amusement and skill to the drinking experience.
Both practical and playful, British drinking vessels came in many forms and sizes. Fermented beverages such as wine and ale provided a safe alternative to the often unsafe water supplies of 17th- and 18th-century towns. Ale was served at all meals and consumed by all strata and ages of society in mugs or drunk convivially in a large tankard, such as the delftware example in this case. Also popular, wine from France, Spain, Portugal and Italy was stored in casks and decanted into bottles for serving. Cleverly crafted fuddling cups and puzzle cups added amusement and skill to the drinking experience.
Mr. Frank P. Burnap (1861-1957), Kansas City, MO by 1954;
His gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1954.
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