Porringer 1761 - 1799

This is a porringer, crafted in the late 18th century by Frederick Bassett, a silversmith working in New York. In colonial America, silversmiths occupied a unique position straddling the artisan and merchant classes. Consider the labor and skill involved in transforming raw silver into a functional object. The porringer, with its simple bowl and ornate handle, speaks to both utility and status. These objects were more than mere tableware; they were signifiers of wealth and social standing in a society marked by increasing economic stratification. Who owned this porringer and what meals were served in it? Bassett, as an artisan, was both a creator and a businessman, navigating the complexities of a society grappling with revolution and the birth of a new nation. The porringer invites us to reflect on the hands that made it, the mouths it fed, and the silent stories it holds.