The Islington cup is a piece of presentation silver. Gifts of silver to mark important events or rites of passage, to reward service or excellence, to enter societies and institutions and as diplomatic presents had a longstanding and honourable tradition in Britain. To increase the compliment, the form of the gift was often, as here, unusually lavish, elaborate and fashionable. The ornament might reflect the preferences and associations of the new owner. For example, on this cup the instruments on the base refer to the recipient's interest in astronomy, while the arts of war on the cover are linked to his regimental duties. The cup was expected to be displayed, but the unusually well-preserved surfaces of matt silver against gilt show that it has been stored in its lined case and rarely handled.
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An inscription on the reverse records the presentation of the cup to Alexander Aubert (1730-1805), the officer commanding the Loyal Islington Volunteers, in gratitude for his leadership. This regiment, formed in 1797, was one of many part-time local forces raised in response to the threat of French invasion during the Revolutionary War. It never saw active service, but had a membership of 314 when, with peace declared, it disbanded in 1801. It was at this point that the cup was commissioned from the silversmith Joseph Preedy.
The particular importance of this cup for art historians is that the inscriptions on the base record the names of the other contributors to its design and manufacture that often lie unknown behind the silversmith's mark. The cup's designer, John Thurston (1774-1822), worked as a book illustrator and exhibited at the Royal Academy; the modeller, Edmund Coffin, was a sculptor of church monuments; and the engraver, John Roper, made city plans. According to a report in The Times for 1803 the cup cost 250 guineas, and it was presented to Aubert on the second anniversary of the disbanding of the regiment. Aubert, a director of the London Assurance Company, owned one of the finest observatories in Britain at Highbury House, Islington, hence the allusions to astronomy on the cup's base.
Physical descriptionThe Islington Cup, silver, parcel-gilt, 49 x 31 x 21.5 cm, London date hallmark.
Place of OriginLondon (made)
Date1802-1803 (hallmarked)
Artist/makerThurston, John (designer)
Coffin, Edmund (modeller)
Preedy, Joseph (maker)
Roper, John (engraver)
Materials and TechniquesSilver, parcel-gilt, chased and engraved
Marks and inscriptionsOn body: maker, duty, sterling, date letter, leopard; On lid: date, sterling and duty; inscription engraved by John Roper
With a cast shield with the arms of Alexander Aubert, Commandant of the Loyal Islington Volunteers. The reverse inscription records the presentation of the cup to Aubert in gratitude for his leadership.
Arms of, and inscription dedicated to Col. Alexander Aubert.
DimensionsHeight: 49 cm
Width: 31 cm
Depth: 21.5 cm
Weight: 4484 g (of cup)
Object history noteDesigned by John Thurston (1774-1822); modelled by Edmund Coffin (born in 1761); made in London by Joseph Preedy; inscription engraved by John Roper
The Volunteers were a local, part-time force formed in response to the threat from post-Revolutionary France. They never saw active service and disbanded in 1801, at which point the cup was commissioned. Unusually, the foot is engraved with the names of the designer, John Thurston, and modeller, Edmund Coffen, as well as the silversmith. The design has been assembled with some care. While celebrating the arts of war on the cover, with the particular accoutrements of the Corps, the head of Mercury and astronomical instruments on the base refer to Aubert's interest in astronomy. He had a magnificent observatory at Highbury House, Islington, from where he observed the transit of Venus on 3 June 1769, also commemorated on the cup by an engraved chart. The lion's skin wrapped around the body of the cup was a symbol of the strength and unity of the Corps. The monumental nature of the composition was devised solely for display. The cup would have been kept largely in its case, to preserve the finish of the contrasting surfaces - matt silver against gilt. "
This cup, every part of which is decorated with a trophy, symbol, or inscription, was purchased in 1986 following a public campaign led jointly by the V&A and a group of supporters that included the customers of the Canonbury Tavern in Islington, North London-an unusual consortium of local interests and a national museum. According to The Times on 23 January 1803, "A magnificent Silver Cup, of the value of 250 guineas" was presented at the Canonbury Tavern to Alexander Aubert, the commanding officer of the Loyal Islington Volunteers, a regiment of local part-time volunteers formed in 1797 in response to the threat from post-Revolutionary France. Alexander Aubert (1730-1805), whose arms the cup bears, lived at Highbury House, Islington, where he owned one of the finest observatories in Britain. The head of Mercury with a star above its forehead and the instruments on the base allude to Aubert's interest in astronomy, including the transit of Venus, which he observed on 3 June 1769. In addition to its local historical significance, the particular importance of the cup for the V&A was that the inscriptions provided a rare opportunity to identify the designer, modeller, and engraver, individuals who often remain anonymous even in the case of major commissions in silver.
This silver cup was offered as a reward for service to the nation. It was presented to Alexander Aubert, commanding officer of the Loyal Islington Volunteers, a local London regiment formed in 1797 in response to the threat from France.
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