Silver miniature windmill beaker, 19th century

Silver miniature wind-cup made by an unknown silversmith in the 19th century.

The finely crafted cup, depicting three men, can be dated between 1880 and 1900.

The cup is marked with pseudo hallmarks. This was done to make a 19th-century silver miniature appear as if it were 18th-century. There was great demand for 18th-century Dutch silver, especially from England. This demand was met through the use of pseudo hallmarks.

It is therefore a replica of an 18th-century wind-cup. These were used at the time as a party game, where the cup had to be emptied before the sails of the miniature windmill on the cup stopped spinning. If you failed to do so, the cup had to be refilled and emptied again.

The miniature is in good condition.

Weight: 32.4 grams. Dimensions: 2.5 x 8 cm.