During our Company’s comparatively short life to date we have been fortunate in building up a significant collection of silver and other treasures, thanks to the generosity of many Members and friends. Much of it is used at our Dinners.
Treasures
The Cups & Tankards
The Cups and Tankards have regular places at our tables, and most members will have personally handled the eight silver gilt Loving Cups which were designed and made especially for the Company by Alex Telford.
These cups incorporate in their design details of the Company’s Armorial Bearings, the central motifs of which are the three towers. One such tower is formed as the stem of each Loving Cup complete with its portcullis, whilst the Arms’ supporters — the Lion and the Dragon — connect the handles to the Cup itself.
Silver Goblets
The Company’s collection of silver goblets, includes six sets of three, again designed and made by Alex Telford with the same theme as the Loving Cups, which are placed for use of the Master, the Senior and Junior Wardens, the President of the Institute and the Senior Past Masters who are present at Livery dinners.
Five further goblets are used by Honorary Liverymen or other distinguished guests attending Company functions. Most recently, in 2017, Past Master James Macnamara gifted the Company a fine set of six silver goblets, each engraved with the “crest” of one of the military units we support, plus another quite properly bearing the arms of his family. These are now used whenever we entertain guests from those units.
Other silver in the Company’s collection is also regularly used at table. The Master chooses the cup he or she would like to use and the Keith Tankard is traditionally placed before the Clerk.
Mace & Robes
One of our earliest gifts is the Company’s Mace, the head of which is detached and placed before the Master at dinner.
The Robes worn by the Master and the Wardens, embroidered with the Company’s Coat of Arms were also given by Past Masters, as were the Engraved Bowl, the Master’s Badge and Chain, and the Badge worn by the Master’s Consort and passed to their successor each year. The retiring Master’s Consort receives a replica of the Badge at the end of the Master’s year of office.
