These silver vases were originally part of the ritual surrounding Holy Communion in Protestant Reformed churches. At the start of the service visiting participants could deposit their ‘Communion papers’, a declaration by church elders that they were permitted to partake of Communion, in these objects. Once the ritual was opened up to everyone and the process with these affidavits became obsolete, the vases were used as offertory vases in which churchgoers could leave an anonymous donation.