17th-century Silver Wedding Cup, 1666

17th-century silver wedding goblet
TOURS circa 1666 by Aaron II Renou (1642–1708)
Resting on a plain pedestal, the handles feature coiled designs in cast silver, topped by a beaded frieze.
Re-hallmarked in the 19th century.
Width including handles: 13.8 cm; Height: 5 cm; Very dense; weight 157 grs
Engraved on the inside with an “M” and beneath the foot with the letters “CM,” two branches, and the date 1666
Beautiful hallmarks
This cup is mentioned in Lise Moor’s book “L’orfèvrerie civile de la jurande de Tours and Its Hallmarks under the Ancien Régime ” on page 104, as having been exhibited at the “Louis XIV: Splendor and Decor” exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris from May to October 1960, on page 81 of the catalog (under number 450, former collection of M.J. Kugel).
It is attributed to Master Renou Abraham I (born in 1650) and dated 1668.
The author notes that it is difficult to believe that, at only 18 years of age, he could have been the creator of this cup.
The identification made to date of the hallmark as belonging to Renou Aaron II (1642–1708) and the date of 1666 therefore corrects this dating by two years with certainty. 
To date, only two cups are known from the Tours jurisdiction: this one, and the second, from the former SZTEJNBERG collection, lot 67 at the Ader auction on February 4, 2021. 
17th-century civilian goldsmith work remains the most sought-after.