Punch Bowl

Adrian Bancker

ca. 1750 · Silver · The American Wing

Punch, a heady concoction of spirits, water, citrus, sugar, and spices, was especially fashionable in England, where trade with the West Indies ensured ample supplies of rum, sugar, and spices. The beverage enjoyed considerable popularity in the American colonies as well. This punch bowl reflects a keen awareness of contemporary English silver, particularly in its engraved symmetrical cartouche of shells and foliate vines. As noted in the inscription, it was made for prominent New York merchant Christopher Bancker (1695–1763) as a gift from the heirs of John Roosevelt (1689–1750), to whom the Bancker family was related by marriage. Bancker was also the older brother of Adrian Bancker, the silversmith commissioned to make the bowl.

Artist

Adrian Bancker

Date

ca. 1750

Medium

Silver

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Bequest of Emily Burrall Hatton, 1942