A hanaper or hanap, properly a case or basket to contain a " hanap" ( O. Eng. ''kneels'': cf. Dutch ''nap''), is a medieval cup or drinking vessel, a goblet with a foot or stem; the term is still used by antiquaries for medieval stemmed cups. The famous

Royal Gold Cup The Royal Gold Cup or Saint Agnes Cup is a solid gold covered cup lavishly decorated with enamel and pearls. It was made for the French royal family at the end of the 14th century, and later belonged to several English monarchs before spending ...

in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

is called a "hanap" in the inventory of

Charles VI of France Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved () and in the 19th century, the Mad ( or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychosis, psychotic episodes t ...

of 1391. The word "hanaper" ( Med. Lat. ''hanaperium'') was used particularly in the English

chancery Chancery may refer to: Offices and administration * Court of Chancery, the chief court of equity in England and Wales until 1873 ** Equity (law), also called chancery, the body of jurisprudence originating in the Court of Chancery ** Courts of e ...

of a wicker basket in which were kept writs and other documents. From "hanaper" is derived the modern "hamper", a wicker or rush basket used for carrying game, fish, wine, etc. The verb " to hamper," to entangle, obstruct, hinder, especially used of disturbing the mechanism of a lock or other fastening so as to prevent its proper working, is of doubtful origin. It is probably connected with a root seen in the Icel. ''hemja'', to restrain, and Ger. ''hemmen'', to clog. For another usage, see Alienation Office.

Clerk of the Hanaper

Clerk of the Hanaper became an office in the department of the chancery, now abolished. The clerk, also known as warden of the hanaper, was paid fees and other moneys for the sealing of charters, patents, writs, etc., and from which issued certain writs under the great seal. The British office was abolished in 1852. In Ireland the office of the

Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper The Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper was a civil servant within the Irish Chancery in the Dublin Castle administration. His duties corresponded to the offices of Clerk of the Crown and Clerk of the Hanaper in the English Chancery. Latterly, the ...

within the Irish Chancery persisted until 1922.

References

Attribution: *{{EB1911, wstitle=Hanaper, volume=12, pages=907–908 Old English Baskets Drinkware