Tankard

Benjamin Wynkoop

1700–1730 · Silver · The American Wing

The smooth, flat covers of early New York tankards were ideal venues for decorative engraving. Here, period ornament surrounds an interlaced monogram of the script initials “JD” for the original owner, Jonas Douw (ca. 1655-1736). The tankard’s body is engraved with a cartouche of leafy mantling surrounding the coat of arms and crest used by the Douw family. The tankard’s provenance is remarkably complete, and its successive owners include some of Albany’s best-known colonial families. Jonas’s son Petrus Douw (1692-1775) married Anna van Rensselaer (1696-1756) in October 1717, thereby uniting the Douws with one of Albany’s most prosperous families. The initials of Petrus and Anna are engraved on the handle of the tankard.

Artist

Benjamin Wynkoop

Date

1700–1730

Medium

Silver

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Abraham Lansing, 1901