Early 20th Century Plain Round Bowled Punch Cup

This is a simple but elegant punch cup, probably dating to the first quarter of the 20th century. The term ‘punch’ is first recorded in British documents, which date back to 1632. The drink was brought back to England from India by employees of the British East India Company in the early 17th century. The term punch is said to have been derived from the Hindi word ‘panch’ meaning five. This relates to the fact that the drink was made from five different ingredients – spirit, sugar, lemon, water or tea, and spices. The rounded bowl tapers in slightly towards the rim and is polished flat at the base. It has a delicate low-set handle, with a globular lower attachment. The cup has a height of approximately 5.7cm, with a diameter at the rim of about 5.4cm and at the base of about 3.5cm. It is in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks.