{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O298011"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O298011/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AU3611/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AU3611/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AU3611","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O298011/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O298011","accessionNumber":"M.25-2025","objectType":"Presentation Cup and Cover","titles":[{"title":"The Adler Cup","type":"assigned by owner"},{"title":"presentation cup and cover","type":"generic title"},{"title":"cup and cover","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"In 1852 the Jewish Community of Melbourne, Australia, presented this cup to the First Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, Dr Nathan Marcus Adler. The cup symbolised their appreciation of his efforts to enforce stricter observance of Orthodox practice in Jewish communities in Britain and across the British Empire. Rabbi Adler had been elected British Chief Rabbi in 1844 and attempted to regulate religious observance by controlling the formation of new congregations and the construction of new synagogues. \r\nThe gold used for the cup was mined in Victoria, South Eastern Australia during the Australian mining boom, which had begun in 1851. By the end of the decade, more than a third of the world’s gold production came from Victoria. The cup itself was made in London by C. F. Hancock, a company that specialised in a range of silver goods, including domestic silverwares (tea services, lamp stands, cake baskets, etc), small silver (snuff boxes, cruets, etc) and jewellery, as well as presentation pieces. The form of the cup is conventionally European, but the decoration has been carefully adapted to reflect the identity of the donors and the recipient. So, for example, the cast figures of kangaroos and an emu on the foot recall the Australian origin of the gold and the cup itself, while the twisted columns that frame the English and Hebrew inscriptions allude to the holiest site in Judaism, the Temple at Jerusalem, built by King Solomon in the 9th century BCE (and later destroyed by the Babylonians).","physicalDescription":"The design of the cup comprises a circular foot with a chased border and  incorporates a pairs of freestanding kangaroos and an emu. The stem which supports the cup is decorated with chased banana fronds. Festoons of flowers hang from the lower edge of the body while the cup is decorated with embossed and engraved decoration, the lid is chased with wreaths of laurel. The body of the cup is divided into four compartments two containing  panels, one depicting 'the Lion and the Lamb' and the other 'a Chalice and the Open Bible'. The other two contain the dedicatory inscription to Rabbi Adler, in English and in Hebrew.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"C. F. Hancock","id":"A5618"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"C. F. Hancock and Company","id":"A15353"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"},{"text":"chasing","id":"AAT54016"},{"text":"engraving (incising)","id":"AAT53829"},{"text":"embossing","id":"AAT53826"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gold, cast, embossed, chased and engraved","categories":[{"text":"Ceremonial objects","id":"THES48981"},{"text":"Judaism","id":"THES48929"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006AU3611"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"67","id":"THES49731"},"free":"","case":"CA14","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"67","id":"THES49731"},"free":"","case":"CA14","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cup","id":"AAT43202"}],[{"text":"lid","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1853-1854","earliest":"1853-05-29","latest":"1854-05-28"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Harold and Harriet Sebag-Montefiore.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"527.1","unit":"g","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"THIS CUP / MADE FROM GOLD THE / PRODUCE OF THE MINES / OF VICTORIA, IS PRESENTED / TO THE REV<sup>D </sup>/ D<sup>R</sup>. NATHAN MARCUS ADLER / CHIEF RABBI OF THE BRI / TISH JEWS, AS A TOKEN OF / THE HIGH ESTEEM IN / WHICH HE IS HELD BY / HIS BRETHERN IN THIS / COLONY AND TO MARK / THEIR SENSE OF HIS IN-/ DEFATICABLE EXERTIONS / IN THE HOLY CAUSE OF / RELIGION AND EDUCATION / MELBOURNE, VICTORIA / JULY. 12. 1852 AM 5612","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"The inscription is repeated in Hebrew on the opposite side of the body."},{"content":"C.F. HANCOCK FECIT 39 BRUTON STREET LONDON","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed around the outside rim of the foot."},{"content":"London hallmarks for 18 carat gold, 1853-1854.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"A delegation acting on behalf of the members of the Melbourne Synagogue presented the cup to Rabbi Adler on Monday, 1 August 1853 at his residence in Crosby Square, London. After his death in 1890 the cup passed by descent to his great-great-grandson, Harold Sebag-Montefiore, and on his death became the property of his widow, Harriet Sebag-Montefiore. She placed it on loan to the V&amp;A in 2004 and in her will bequeathed it to the Museum.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gold, English (London), 1853-54, sponsor's mark of C.F. Hancock.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"kangaroo","id":"x31824"},{"text":"emu","id":"THES275645"},{"text":"flowers","id":"x35571"},{"text":"laurel","id":"x44943"},{"text":"lion","id":"x30150"},{"text":"lamb","id":"x30134"},{"text":"chalice","id":"AAT194762"},{"text":"Bible","id":"x31781"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"12. PRESENTATION CUP\n<i>Gold, 18 carat (from mines in Victoria, Australia)\nLondon, 1853-4\nMark of C.F. Hancock</i>\nAn inscription dated 12 July 1852 recalls that the cup was presented to the Revd. Dr Nathan Marcas Adler, Chief Rabbi of the British Jews by his brethren in Australia.\nLoan: Met anon 5:1-2-2004","date":{"text":"2004","earliest":"2004-01-01","latest":"2004-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["M.25:1-2025","M.25:2-2025"],"accessionNumberNum":"25","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":2025,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Presentation cup","lid"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-27","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":false}}