ENGLISH DELFTWARE WHITE FUDDLING CUP CIRCA 1630-50

Probably Rotherhithe or Southwark, formed as three conjoined vessels, linked by their entwined handles.

F. Buckler Roundhay Leeds;
Christie's, New York, Collection of the late Lillian Blankley Cogan, Farmington, Connecticut, September 7, 1992, lot 68.

There is some considerable glaze loss to the entwined handles and some chipping and abrasions to the rim edges of the containers. There is a 1 by 1/2 inch chip to the rim that has been restored with a made-up replacement; the restoration is old.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Although the exact use and purpose of the fuddling cups are not documented, it has been widely suggested that they provided a source for amusement in 17th-century taverns. According to Michael Archer in Delftware, p. 256, each container of a fuddling cup was probably filled with a different type of liquor, upon which the cup was turned until the drinks were blended. The drinker was then challenged to identify the contents. As Amanda E. Lange suggests in Delftware at Historic Deerfield, 1600-1800, p. 37, the modest size of these vessels must have deceived the drinkers who were encouraged to drink the contents of all containers and would in turn become more 'befuddled' than anticipated.

A four-container example and a similar three-container example are illustrated in Michael Archer, Delftware in the Fitzwilliam Musuem, p. 189, cat. nos. D.3 and D.4. A four-part white example is also illustrated in Leslie B. Grigsby, The Longridge Collection of English Slipware and Delftware, p. 317, cat. no. D. 291. Another undecorated example is illustrated in Aileen Dawson, English and Irish Delftware, 1570-1840, pp. 164-165, cat. no. 67. A similar example from the Collection of Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little was sold at Sotheby's New York, October 21, 1994, lot 487.