Each engraved with a coat of arms flanked by the inscription "The Gift of Mr. Anthony Risby Gent'l", engraved "Barnards Ine" under base.

The arms are those of the Risbye family and, given the inscription about Barnard's Inn under each base and the quality of these cups, it seems certain that Anthony Risbye was a very successful London lawyer who resided at Barnard's Inn.

Barnard's Inn is one of the nine former Inns of Chancery in London, and today is the home of Gresham College, a law school established in 1597. Barnard's appears in the work of Charles Dickens; in "Great Expectations", the main hero Pip lodged in Barnard's Inn with Herbert Pocket for a number of years following his arrival in London, which would have been about 1820. As this suggests, the Chancery Inns served as offices and accommodations for their members, and so were often quite elegant. The fine great hall from Barnard’s Inn dates from the 15th century, and is one of only a handful of buildings in the City of London to survive both the Great Fire and the Blitz.

Most Inns of Court developed collections of silver for use at formal occasions. These were usually the gift of wealthy members, and Anthony Risby was clearly such a member. As the legal profession changed during the Victorian era the Inns of Chancery closed, with the last one, Clifford’s Inn, shutting its doors in 1903. Barnard’s closed in 1883, when the movable assets (including portraits and silver) were distributed to the membership.