gripe egg

1) The egg of a griffin, the fabulous creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. It was a word for an oval-shaped cup, possibly made from a large egg, such as that of an ostrich.

1349 unam copam de uno gripe, Spofforth

1419 et alius ciphus vocatus a gryp ey, ligatus cum argento et deaurato, Harewood

1431 unum chales copp argenti et deaurati ad modum unius gripe egg cum scriptura in cooperculo, Ripon. Such items were much prized by the gentry and were passed from father to son, as in the case of the Stapletons of Wighill: 1455 et unam peciam vocatam Grypeg deauratam

1537 a noder cuppe of the facyone of an nutte called grypeege ... to remayne frome heire to heire. Note: c.1537 j grype schell with a coverynge giltyd, Fountains Abbey.

dates 1349 1419 1431 1455 1537

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