Tankard (one of a pair) 1699 - 1700

This tankard was crafted by John Chartier, sometime between 1697 and 1715, from solid silver. The silversmith's craft is front and center here. Note the burnished gleam of the tankard's surface, achieved by carefully hammering the silver into shape. The handle, lid, and base are all ornamented, with cast details applied separately. It would have been a highly prized object, reflecting the owner's wealth and status. Such tankards were not merely decorative; they were functional objects used for drinking, often ale or beer. Their substantial weight and solidity spoke to the prosperity of the owner, and the skilled labor required to produce them. The silver from which it was made might well have come from the Americas, part of the vast colonial project that underpinned European wealth at this time. Consider all that material and social history, captured in this one vessel. It's a reminder that even the most beautiful objects are deeply enmeshed in the world of labor, politics, and consumption.