Covered Tankard, Birmingham 1863, Elkington and Co

This tankard is a Victorian copy of a German Mannerist type with special stamp and number 1329. 

Stamp is the joint one for the Department of Science and Art and Elkingtons. This relates to items copied from the holdings of that department (later the South Kensington Museum and then the Victoria and Albert Museum) made in the studio at Gore House.

Elkington papers at the Archive of Art and Design (PL28/ folio 157) contain the letter from the Department to Elkington allowing this process:

‘It is understood that you will undertake to make casts of any objects in the museum at your won cost and risk on the requisite accommodation being provided and permission being given to sell copies of the works, when made and approved, subject of course in the case of loans to the prop first obtained.’

The covered tankard stands 7.5 inches high.