Tankard
Early American tankards, used for drinking beer or ale, survive in some quantity. Eighteenth-century Boston examples feature a tall tapered body, applied midband, and domed cover with finial. An inscription engraved on the handle of this tankard documents its presentation from the Salem sea captain and merchant Richard Derby to his son John on New Year’s Day 1763.
Artwork Details
- Title: Tankard
- Maker: Benjamin Burt (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1729–1805 Boston, Massachusetts)
- Date: 1763
- Geography: Made in Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Silver
- Dimensions: Overall: 8 1/4 x 7 1/4 in. (21 x 18.4 cm); 29 oz. 9 oz. (915.2 g)
Lip: Diam. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
Base: Diam. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm) - Credit Line: Gift of Charles K. Davis, 1946
- Object Number: 46.171.2
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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