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Silver tankard. Body tapers inward from base and has an applied midband above the lower handle attachment. Flame finial attaches to a domed stepped lid.
tankards
silver (metal)
Mug
Tankard
Tankard
"Cherished Possessions": In the middle of the eighteenth century, silver was very much a luxury item, owned by fewer than 20 percent of New England's populace. Most New Englanders who did have silver had only a few small items such as shoe buckles and buttons. Tankards were not widely owned, and were largely ceremonial, often purchased to celebrate a wedding or a commercial or civic event. Perhaps Sayward bought his to mark his election to the General Court.
"I*S" (No visible touchmarks)
Original to Sayward-Wheeler House (York Harbor, Me.),
Attributed to Burt, Benjamin, 1729-1805 (Silversmith)
Boston, MA, USA
9 (H), 5 (diameter) (inches)
Gift of the heirs of Elizabeth Cheever Wheeler
1977.420
Sander, Penny. Elegant Embellishments. Boston; SPNEA; 1982.
Massachusetts (United States)
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