This set consists of a cup with a short stem and wide base, with an accompanying flower-shaped stand on which the cup was placed. Many such cups with a stand were also paired with an ewer. Some cups with a stand were used to drink tea, while others were more likely used for wine or other alcoholic beverages. In general, teacups with a stand tend to be larger than cups used to drink alcohol. Also, most teacups were ceramic, rather than metal. Since ceramics do not conduct heat well, ceramic cups were generally preferred for hot drinks, while metal cups were more likely used for cool or tepid beverages.

When did people start using cups with a stand, such as this one? A stone relief carving in the Dahuting Han tombs in Mixian, Henan Province, China, shows a cup with a bowl as its stand, which suggests that cups with a stand were used during the Han Dynasty. However, such cups did not come into wide use until the Southern and Northern Dynasties of China, when many cups were accompanied by a saucer- or trumpet-shaped stand. Celadon cups with a stand were particularly prevalent in the Southern Dynasties.

In Korea, cups with a stand were in use by the Three Kingdoms period, particularly in the Baekje Kingdom. Representative examples include a silver cup with a bronze stand that was found near the head of the queen in the Tomb of King Muryeong, and a green-glazed cup with a stand excavated from Bogam-ri, Naju. Green-glazed cups with stands were also used in the Unified Silla period, before metal and celadon cups with stands became more popular in the Goryeo Dynasty.

In 1123, an envoy from the Song Dynasty named Xu Jing (徐兢) visited Goryeo, and he later described many aspects of Goryeo life in Illustrated Record of the Chinese Embassy to the Goryeo Court in the Xuanhe Era (宣和奉使高麗圖經). In the chapter on dishes and tableware from Volume 30, Xu Jing wrote about Goryeo cups with a stand:

“In general, Goryeo cups with a stand are similar to the ones from China. However, the cup is deeper, the mouth is narrower, the stand is smaller, and the foot is taller. They are made of silver, and occasionally gilded, with intricately engraved designs. A different cup is used each time that a drink is offered. The volume of the drinking cup is quite large.” (盤琖之制, 皆似中國. 惟琖深而釦斂, 舟小而足高. 以銀爲之, 間以金塗, 鏤花工巧. 每至勸酒, 則易別杯, 第量容差多耳.)

As this passage confirms, Goryeo silver or gilt-silver cups with a stand were ornately decorated, relatively large in size, and often used to serve alcohol to foreign envoys at banquets. Significantly, this Goryeo gilt-silver cup from the National Museum of Korea seems to match the description given by Xu Jing.

Designated as a Treasure (formerly Treasure #1899), the gilt-silver cup rests atop a flat stand with a wide rim that is shaped like a flower with six petals. Both the cup and stand are elaborately decorated with various techniques, especially on the upper pedestal of the stand, where the cup is placed. The sides of the upper pedestal are decorated with a protruding flower design, made with the repoussé technique. The same technique was used to make a lotus petal design on the six-petaled rim and a lotus flower design on the inside of the stand. The flower-shaped rim also bears an intricate incised lotus scroll design, a slightly smaller version of which can be seen around the edge of the indented area of the plate. The lower part of the foot is incised with a flower design,

The body of the cup is also shaped like a six-petal flower, with a short foot below. The bottom of the foot is engraved with the same flower design found on the stand, showing a conscious effort to match the designs. The exterior of the cup is decorated with an incised peony design with smaller flowers symmetrically incised at the points where the petals are joined. Another flower design is engraved around the mouth of the cup. On the interior well of the cup, there is another incised flower design, surrounded by a leaf design.

With its distinct flower shape, precise proportions, and consistent design scheme, this gilt-silver cup with a stand exudes the utmost beauty and craftsmanship. Although five or six other silver or gilt-silver cups with a stand are extant, both in Korea and abroad, none of them can match the aesthetic beauty and intricate designs of this one. In addition, this type of metal cup with a stand, shaped like a flower with six petals, influenced the production of both monochrome and inlaid celadon cups with a stand with the same form and similar designs.

As mentioned, cups with a stand were often part of a set with an ewer. Although there is no known gilt-silver ewer that exactly matches this gilt-silver cup with a stand, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston houses a gilt-silver ewer that closely resembles this cup and stand. Exhibiting unparalleled elegance and sophistication, both the ewer and this cup and stand are quintessential masterpieces of Goryeo metalcrafts that embody the opulent culture of the royal court and ruling class of the time.