From staff reports
The Historic Beaufort Foundation unveiled its silver Hamar Cup from 1748 on Wednesday, April 19 at the organization’s annual meeting, held at the USCB Performing Arts Center.
Cynthia Jenkins, executive director of HBF, and Larry Rowland, a renowned South Carolina historian, shared the background of the 13.5-inch silver cup and cap, created by Thomas Heming of London, and sold through Sotheby’s auction house earlier this year.
According to the organization’s news release, plans are under way to display the cup later this year at the John Mark Verdier House museum on Bay Street.
Colonists from South Carolina commissioned the silver cup less than 40 years before the American Revolution. Sotheby’s experts said the Heming cup and cover “is among the earliest and most sophisticated examples of rococo silver which can be linked to the American Colonies.”
Historic Beaufort Foundation bid on the silver cup in partnership with a number of donors who
contributed to a special fund for the purchase, Jenkins said.
Also at the annual meeting, members elected Rob Montgomery as chair, Beth Grace as vice-chair, Larry Haskell as secretary and J. Wood (Woody) Rutter as treasurer.
Elected for reappointment to the Board of Trustees to three-year terms were John Troutman, Derek Gilbert, Ivey Savage and Rob Montgomery. Patricia Battey was elected for a one-year term. The audience applauded outgoing members Kevin Cuppia, Ann Higgins and Cheryl Steele for their service on the HBF Board of Trustees.
Continuing as board members are Marshall Bassett, Sarah Dyson, Donna Dehncke, Dr. John McCardell, Drew Scallan, John Tashjian and Wayne Vance.
HBF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit education foundation created to preserve, protect, and present sites and artifacts of historic, architectural, and cultural interest throughout Beaufort County, South Carolina. For more information on the entity’s mission and history, visit www.historicbeaufort.org and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
