Tankard 1718 - 1799

This tankard was crafted in the 18th century by Francis Bassett I, a time when pewter was a common material for household items in both Europe and America. Bassett, as an artisan, occupied a specific, if not precarious, place in the social hierarchy. His work reflects the burgeoning mercantile class and their desire for durable, yet decorative, objects. Consider the labor involved; from mining the ore, to its transportation, to the crafting of the object itself. The tankard embodies the economic activities of the time, but also, the quieter, domestic moments of gathering and sharing. What does it mean to consider the lives of those who drank from such a vessel? How might the simple act of raising this tankard to one’s lips connect you to a history of communal rituals? The tankard is not merely an object, but a silent witness to countless untold stories.