DRINKING CUPS

From the earliest times when domestic ve els of any sort were used, it is probable special ones were fashioned for drinking purposes; sometimes natural ve els were used, such as coco-nuts or large eggs. Among remains of the New Stone and Bronze Ages ve els have been unearthed which it is supposed were intended for drinking. ‘Among the remains of Aigean and anc. Gr. civilization, many drinking cups, some of beautiful shape, have been discovered—one, the golden cup of Mycenx, with handles on each side. Endle shapes are found in pottery. In the Middle Ages drinking horns were frequently used, some very large; plain bowls are also found. The finest examples, however, of cups are the chalices of the Church; these were often richly ornamented, and of very beautiful workmanship. At the Reformation in England the chalice gave place to simpler communion cups. For common use in the Middle Ages wood was employed. Among the few gold cups that remain is that of the Eng. kings, made about 1380, which, after various adventures, has found its way into the Brit. Museum. A big drinking cup was sometimes called a hanap, the ancestor of our ‘loving cup.’