Theocritus' Cup
by STORR, Paul, Gilded silver
This cup was made from a drawing by John Flaxman. The design is taken from the description of a drinking cup by the Greek poet Theocritus (c. 300-260 BC) in his First Idyll. On one side is a maiden with two youth competing for her favour. The other side shows a fisherman and a boy seated on a wall.
Paul Storr was the greatest English silversmith of the Regency period. He worked in the neoclassical style, often to the design of noted sculptors like John Flaxman, and was much employed by the royal family. As well as producing fine cups and goblets of a simple and elegant design, he was adept at making pieces of presentation plate. These were in great demand for commemorative purposes after the Napoleonic Wars.