Victorian sterling silver baby cup. Made by Robert Harper in London in 1871. Baluster bowl on raised foot; wrapped and bracketed double-scroll handle with graduated beading. Chased and engraved scene from Robinson Crusoe: In the foreground stands the hero in the baggy garb of a marooned islander. He holds a long gun with more survival tools—including a hatchet—slipped under his belt. He points to a group of people in the distance. The beneficiary of his observation is Friday, the captive indigene he rescued from cannibals. An adaptation after Alexander Francis Lydon (1836-1917), who had illustrated Defoe's classic novel less than a decade before in the 1860s. One conspicuous change: Friday is made to look more indigenous in a loin cloth rather than the European garb he is portrayed wearing by Lydon. Bosky frame with engraved christening presentation dated 1873. Interior gilt-washed. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 5 x W 4 1/2 x D 3 1/8 in. Weight: 5.3 troy ounces. #BY397