Stirrup cup

Art Historical Context

This elegant stirrup cup, created around 1780 by Ralph Wood the Younger in Burslem, Staffordshire, captures the lively spirit of late Georgian British ceramics. Standing just over five inches tall, the lead-glazed earthenware vessel was designed for a practical yet sociable purpose: a quick drink of wine or brandy offered to riders before a hunt. Wood’s family workshop was renowned for its inventive use of colored glazes, which brought warmth and character to everyday objects. The cup’s modeled face—likely that of a fox or hare—adds a touch of wit and personality typical of Staffordshire pottery. Such pieces blended utility with lighthearted decoration, reflecting the era’s growing interest in sporting themes and refined tableware. Today it resides in the Metropolitan Museum’s European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, a gift that preserves a charming glimpse of 18th-century British social customs.

About the Artist

Ralph Wood the Younger · 1748–1795

Ralph Wood the Younger was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, in 1748, the son of the celebrated potter Ralph Wood the Elder and a member of a family that stood at the center of the Staffordshire ceramics industry during its most creative and internationally influential period. Growing up in the workshops of his father, he absorbed from childhood the technical traditions of English earthenware produc...