Sterling Silver Cup Presented to Australian Prime Minister

• Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
• Important - Important is a word used in the antique trade to indicate an object should be ranked above other similar objects, and is therefore more valuable.
  
  The object could be considered important because it is by a famous designer or maker, has been shown at a major exhibition, is of exquisite workmanship, is rare or is a "one-off", was made for an important patron, and so on.
  
  Even further up the pecking order are objects that are described in catalogue descriptions as highly important or extraordinarily important.
• Morris, William - William Morris (1834 - 1896) an architect designer, artist, writer, poet and social activist is regarded as a leader of the Arts & Crafts movement in England.
  
  After studying theology, ecclesiastical history, medieval poetry and art at Oxford University, Morris began work with a firm of architects for a short period.
  
  In 1861 he formed a company Morris Marshall, Faulkner & Co. was formed to design and produce wallpaper, carpets, tapestries and stained glass, and they initially secured ecclesiastical works, later extending to domestic assignments.
  
  In 1874 he took sole control of the company, buying out the other partners, and renaming it Morris & Co.
  
  The origins of his designs can be traced to medieval Gothic styles but his organic flower and bird motifs encouraged later artists to seek inspiration for their designs in nature.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• cups, presentation and trophies - silver items 428