A View of the London Custom House

This ivory drinking cup has been engraved with a perspective view of the London Custom House from the River Thames. Located up river from the Tower of London, the Custom House was the headquarters of the Customs Service. The building had a disastrous history. It was rebuilt by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666, but was then badly damaged by an explosion in 1714.

The building depicted on the cup is that designed by the architect Thomas Ripley, whose work also included the Admiralty at Whitehall. Ships' cargoes would be unloaded on the quayside and stored in warehouses. Customs duties were then paid in the famous Long Room. Ripley's building was destroyed by fire in 1814.