Silver Toasting Cup

Artisan: Pete Acquisto
Date: 2022
Dimensions: 14 x 7 x 5 mm. / ⅝ x ¼ x ¼ inches (height x width x depth)
Inventory number: 2022.103
Intended Room: Dining Room
Category: Silver

Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist’s online shop, 2022.

There’s a particular type of antique cup that shows a woman in a full skirt holding a small cup above her head. Tilt her, and the cup above her head tilts to follow the motion. If you turn her upside down, it turns out that the full skirt is actually another, larger cup. These double cups are sometimes called toasting cups, and sometimes wedding cups. The idea was that both cups were filled with wine and one had to drink from one cup without spilling the other. I find these playful puzzle cups very amusing and was delighted to realise that several artisans have made miniature versions.

This example, in sterling silver, is by the veteran miniature goldsmith Pete Acquisto, master of his field, who has produced a tantalising range of all kinds of silverware for the miniature house. It’s our first piece of miniature silver and our first piece by Acquisto, so it’s a doubly exciting addition. She is so incredibly tiny that it’s hard to capture her properly on camera, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that she’s exquisite.

Our little toasting cup will sit alongside the rest of the family’s silver in the Dining Room, proudly displayed to their admiring guests.