1898 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Freemasons Knight's Templar 3-handled loving cup!

Description

Check it out...Here's a classic 5 1/2" wide by 4 1/2" tall by 5 1/2" deep souvenir triple handled loving cup from the 1898 Knights Templar "Tancred Commandery" branch of Freemasonery Lodge # 48 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-The colorful fine china cup features an image of the massive "Court House" building titled "Headquarters 1898", "Tancred Commandery No. 48 K.T. Pittsburgh, Pa. 1898" on another side & features the image of an ornate member's badge with "Tancred 48 Pa." on the other side- Cup reads: "Made by the American China Co. Toronto, Ohio" on bottom - Neat vintage item in great condition with a couple of small, teeny-tiny chips on the upper lip but no other cracks & no paint loss- This is an ORIGINAL item, NOT A REPRODUCTION item! How many of these survived? I only have the one, so grab it while you can! This is an ORIGINAL item...Not a reproduction item! Postage information is listed at the bottom-Calculated shipping is required, which is EXACTLY what the post office charges us to send it.
1898 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Freemasons Knight's Templar 3-handled loving cup!
1898 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Freemasons Knight's Templar 3-handled loving cup!
Click images to enlarge
Description
Check it out...Here's a classic 5 1/2" wide by 4 1/2" tall by 5 1/2" deep souvenir triple handled loving cup from the 1898 Knights Templar "Tancred Commandery" branch of Freemasonery Lodge # 48 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-The colorful fine china cup features an image of the massive "Court House" building titled "Headquarters 1898", "Tancred Commandery No. 48 K.T. Pittsburgh, Pa. 1898" on another side & features the image of an ornate member's badge with "Tancred 48 Pa." on the other side- Cup reads: "Made by the American China Co. Toronto, Ohio" on bottom - Neat vintage item in great condition with a couple of small, teeny-tiny chips on the upper lip but no other cracks & no paint loss- This is an ORIGINAL item, NOT A REPRODUCTION item! How many of these survived? I only have the one, so grab it while you can!
Here's some history on the cup & the Lodge:
These beautiful Loving Cups were made for Tancred Commandery No. 48 Knights Templar in Pittsburgh, Pa.  Their headquarters is seen in one panel and their jewel in another. These Loving Cups were produced in four different colors, blue (seen above), red, green and yellow (seen below). They were made by the American China Co. of Toronto, Ohio. They are hand-painted and lettered then trimmed in gold. They stand 4 inches tall and are 4 1/2 inches in diameter. This is an old tradition in Wellington Lodge No. 1385 usually performed at the conclusion of a banquet. It is a very old custom which seems to have almost died out, at least in Craft Masonry. Wellington tries to maintain this tradition and is famous for it. Actually the Loving Cup should be passed after the Entered Apprentice song has been sung. This is a ceremony handed down through the ages and need not be limited to initiations, which Wellington does not do. The procedure was for three Brethren to stand, two would unsheath their swords and the third (middle) to hold up the cup by the two handles and to drink whilst the two others defended him, one facing him and the other with his back to the drinker’s back. Having taking his draught, the drinker then wipes the cup with a napkin. The two brethren with thier backs together then turn to face each other and the cup is handed over. The next brother in the line now stands to protect the back of the drinker, and so on. A later variation of the Loving Cup for toasting is the large two handled wassail bowl or cup, usually pewter or silver and sometimes bearing the Lodge badge or crest. At the festive Board it is passed round from Brother to Brother around the table. The word “wassail” comes from the old English “Waes Hail”, meaning “Be thou whole and of good health”. The custom of protection of the drinker’s back is said to date back to Saxon times, when a man might be treacherously stabbed whilst drinking - hence a friend or two defend him with drawn swords. This may be borne out by the murder, in A.D. 979 of King Edward (later known as Edward the Martyr), when he was so stabbed on the orders of his stepmother, Elfrida, so that her own son, Ethelred could become King instead. He was stabbed at the feast while drinking mead from a two handled loving cup by a paid assassin. There are many forms of the ceremony but the process of sharing, coupled with mutual protection is the same — it reinforces the ancient Masonic bond we have with each other.
Postage information is listed at the bottom-Calculated shipping is required, which is EXACTLY what the Post Office will charge me to send it.
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However, if the items are heavy or require special packing / tracking, the postal rates might not be significantly reduced. We no longer ship overseas first class mail. We will only ship Internationally by Priority Mail, and that starts at .00. So please be aware that we NO LONGER SHIP FIRST CLASS MAIL INTERNATIONALLY unless seller agrees to ship by USPS Priority mail at an increased rate. Postage rates are non-negotiable and non-refundable. We pack every item professionally using new packing materials and appropriate mailing supplies. We send all items via US Postal Service.The U.S.Postal service rates change fairly regularly every year and we don't make money on postage like some other ebay sellers. I think you'll find that we're quite fair.
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Terms of Sale
I try and place a penny in every photo to help judge the size of the item, obviously it is there for size comparison and is not included with the item. The standard sized Lincoln head penny in the photograph is there for size comparison ONLY and is not included in the package. We're just trying to help you figure out how big the item is. We try and always be as accurate as we can in the item
description and will gladly answer any question about item size & description when needed. Please e-mail us with any questions BEFORE the end of sale and BEFORE placing a bid. Postage is determined by the U.S. Postal service and is never refundable. Many of the items are VINTAGE and although they are in very fine condition, they may not function as well as when they were made decades ago. So if you intend on using the old item, please be aware that we are selling it for collector value only. In other words, if you intend on using a 50+ year old letter opener and it breaks, don't get mad at us. It may be hard to believe, but we have received a couple negatives because people broke vintage items while trying to use them.
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Our Mission statement: We try to offer Ebay users unique additions to their collections. We comb the antique stores & malls as well as Antique shows & flea markets from Coast-to-coast in an effort to try and find that special addition to your collection. We travel hundreds of miles and wake up with the sun in search of these items. We truly have a love for our hobby / business. Please be aware of the postage rates BEFORE you bid! We pack professionally and do not try and make money off of postage. We generally charge the same postal rate that the US Post Office charges us. We'll respect you, but please respect us as well. Thanks & happy bidding to you! Good Luck!
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Please e-mail us with any questions BEFORE the end of sale and BEFORE placing a bid. Postage is determined by the U.S. Postal service and is never refundable.
Please be aware of the postage rates BEFORE you bid! We pack professionally and do not try and make money off of postage.
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