SILVER TASTEVIN FROM BECERRIL DE CAMPOS TOWN COUNCIL, 1806.

Wine tasting room of the Becerril de Campos council, 1806. With legend on the base (“Catavino of the Most Illustrious Council of Becerril de Campos with Royal Privilege, year 1806”). Published in: Fernández, Alejandro et alt. Encyclopedia of Spanish and Viceregal American Silver, Torreangulo Graphic Art, Madrid, 1985. Page 485. / Redondo Aguayo, Anselmo. Historical monograph of the town of Becerril de Campos and biographical information on its most illustrious sons. Bulletin of the Tello Tellez de Meneses Institution, 9, 1952. Page 149. A plain vessel with a legend on the outer rim, joined to a bowl with a convex seat decorated with raised scallops, engraved ovals and crosses and lines of beads arranged around a central circle that has been left smooth. Its shape makes it closer to Bordeaux-type tasting glasses than to Burgundian-type ones (the most common), and its shape seems to have been characteristic of Castile in the 17th century; it has not changed since then, maintaining its use and manufacture. According to experts, this type of piece was called “cups” until the 19th century, and we are not entirely sure that its use was utilitarian, with some studies leaning towards a mainly decorative function. This would be the reason why, despite being a piece made in a secondary manufacturing centre such as the municipality of Palencia, it has decoration all over its surface, in addition to the written legend. The scallop motifs, like the oval shapes, are geometric decorations that are widely used in this type of piece, especially since the Renaissance and because of the inspiration of this artistic style in Roman Antiquity. In the 19th century, this inspiration in classicism returned to art, by way of Neoclassicism. Despite the simplicity of the elements, a clear attempt by the artist to organize them in a harmonious way to give beauty to the piece can be seen. Both the material and the decorative excess (for coming from a local center) support the theory, already mentioned, that the wine tasting bowl would have been used more for representation than for normal use, being used in certain celebrations or events in which the council had a prominent role. This tasting vessel is mentioned in Anselmo Redondo's study. It is very rare to find examples of civil silverware, as their owners usually sold objects with the intention of buying new ones, or better ones, or ones made in a more modern artistic style, or due to economic needs. Thus, it is most common to find religious silverware, which is the same as civil silverware or differs only in its decorative elements. In addition, civil pieces were usually given to churches, convents, etc. as donations from individuals. It is worth highlighting, however, the extraordinary nature of this tasting vessel: first, due to its material; second, due to its typology; third, because its inscription makes it easy to place its origin and date. There are tasting vessels with similar characteristics to the present one in the Lázaro Galdiano Foundation in Madrid. Weight: 315 gr

· Size: 19x19x6 cms.