Tankard

Benjamin Burt

1763 · Silver · The American Wing

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.

Artist

Benjamin Burt

Date

1763

Medium

Silver

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Charles K. Davis, 1946