The Verzelini goblet
- Gallery: Room 46
- Maker: Attributed to Jacopo Verzelini
- Made in: London (England) (Broad Street)
- Date: 1586
- Object type: goblet
- Materials: glass; gold
- Museum number: 1895,0603.17
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "The Verzelini Goblet," a beautifully crafted glasswork from 1586. Created in London, this goblet was likely made in the workshop of the Venetian master, Jacopo Verzelini. The ovoid bowl features three distinct registers separated by gilded bands and thin white threads, with diamond-engraved initials and a love-knot. A foliate panel frames a central inscription reading "IN GOD IS AL MI TRUST," suggesting a deeply personal touch. The goblet is inscribed with the date "1586" and the initials "G S."
The glass is soda glass gilded and engraved with intricate scroll and gadroon details. This piece reflects the high demand in England for Venetian-style glass, made possible through Verzelini’s monopoly granted by Queen Elizabeth I. It was donated to the museum in 1895 and remains an important example of Renaissance glass artistry.
See it in person
The Verzelini goblet is on display in Room 46 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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