Two Handled Cup
A two handled cup brings together centuries of drinking vessels and presentation pieces designed for communal toasts and formal displays.
Two Handled Cup
When you search for a two handled cup, you encounter a diverse group of objects spanning 18th-century porcelain chocolate vessels, heavy sterling silver porringers, and earthenware harvest mugs. The most frequent examples on this page are silver loving cups and ceramic pieces decorated with transfer prints and ceramic frogs.
These items originate across various eras including the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian periods, stretching from early silver examples through to 20th-century commemorative issues. Forms range from campana-shaped trophy cups and quaichs to jelly glasses and Christening bowls.
Makers and potteries worked these vessels for multiple purposes, from communal drinking at celebrations to competitive presentation trophies in silver and plated metals. Ceramic iterations often feature humorous interior surprises or historical transfer scenes relating to royalty and hunting.
Materials and Technique
Silversmiths constructed metal pieces using sterling silver, Old Sheffield plate, and silver plate, frequently employing planishing, chasing, and gilt interiors. These techniques produced substantial drinking vessels and trophy cups with firm handles and decorative mounts.
Potters shaped ceramic and porcelain examples from earthenware, pearlware, and porcelain, applying hand-painted designs, enamels, and black or blue transfer printing. Many ceramic vessels incorporate moulded handles and interior moulded frogs or newts designed to startle the drinker.
Two Handled Cup Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for two handled cup among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Several ceramic drinking vessels hide tiny ceramic frogs at the bottom to startle drinkers.
Judging Quality
Quality rests upon the crispness of the chasing on silver surfaces and the precision of transfer printing or hand-painted details on ceramics. Weight and balance also dictate the caliber of metal pieces, where heavier gauge silver indicates a higher standard of manufacture.
The clarity of hallmarks on silver items and the complexity of form, such as campana shapes or applied dolphin handles, separate standard domestic items from superior presentation pieces.
R E Stone·Nathan & Hayes·H & R Daniel·Royal Doulton·Joseph Rodgers & Sons·Royal Worcester·James Dixon & Sons·Martin Hall & Co·Mappin and Webb
The Two Handled Cup Glossary
- Porringer
- A two-handled bowl used historically for porridge, broth, or as a Christening bowl. These metal vessels often feature pierced or scroll handles.
- Loving Cup
- A large drinking vessel fitted with two or more handles, designed to be passed around a company for shared toasts. They appear in silver, pewter, and earthenware.
- Campana
- A bell-shaped vessel profile typical of classical urns and formal Georgian trophy cups. This form provides a wide rim tapering down to a pedestal foot.
- Quaich
- A shallow two-handled drinking vessel of Scottish origin, traditionally used for drams of whisky. Silver and wooden versions exist.
- Transfer Printing
- A method of applying detailed monochrome or polychrome designs to ceramics using an engraved copper plate and tissue paper. It allowed complex hunting scenes and poems to cover mugs.
Two Handled Cup: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a two handled cup used for?
These vessels served diverse functions ranging from communal drinking at celebrations to formal presentation and sporting trophies. Ceramic iterations like loving cups were passed around gatherings for shared toasts.
Smaller silver porringers and Christening bowls functioned as personal tableware or commemorative gifts for infants. Larger metal cups marked civic achievements and horse racing victories.
Why do some cups have frogs inside?
Ceramic mugs from the 18th and 19th centuries often concealed a moulded ceramic frog or newt inside the base as a drinking surprise. As the drinker finished the contents, the hidden creature appeared.
This practical joke amused tavern patrons during communal toasts from loving cups. The animals were sometimes painted with polychrome glazes or speckled patterns.
How do I date an antique silver cup?
Silver pieces generally bear assay office marks, maker's marks, and date letters stamped into the metal. Consulting hallmarking records reveals the exact year of manufacture for British items.
Stylistic shifts, such as the transition from plain Georgian forms to ornate Victorian chasing or Art Deco geometric lines, provide further chronological clues.
Are porcelain and ceramic cups fragile?
Porcelain and earthenware versions from the Georgian and Victorian eras require careful handling due to their age and material composition. Glazes and transfer-printed surfaces can scratch or craze over time.
Displaying them away from direct sunlight and high traffic areas protects the fragile handles and painted enamel details from accidental damage.