Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事！
Eight-Nation Alliance
William Cowan
White china christening cup
Item number: M100
Year: AD 1854
Material: Bone China
Provenance: Spink 2023
This white bone China mug with a cup holder and gold-trimmed decoration is a christening cup given to William Cowan in commemoration of his baptism when he was an infant. It bears his name and birthdate, May 10, AD 1854, inscribed on the side. William Cowan would later find himself trapped in the Beijing Legation Quarter during the Boxer Rebellion in AD 1900, where he participated in the defense and was awarded the British China Medal (1900) in AD 1902.
William Cowan was born in the eastern outskirts of Scotland, in a historic village known as Duddingston. Throughout medieval to modern European history, the church served not only as the center of faith but also as a recorder of a region’s population through its administration of baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Newly born infants were typically recorded in the parish register after baptism, making church records one of the most important sources for tracing family lineage in Europe. Christening Cups have a long folk history in the British Isles, often given as gifts by elders or godparents to commemorate a baby’s baptism and offer blessings. By the 19th century, a standard baptismal gift set included a set of utensils and a cup (or mug). These cups often bore significant dates such as the birth or baptism date, with the hope that they would accompany the child as they grew, serving as a reminder of the importance of their faith.
