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 A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
 A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
 A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
 A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
 A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
 A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
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  •  A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
  •  A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
  •  A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
  •  A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
  •  A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.
  •  A silver vessel that has an octagonal body, handle, and lid that has floral perforations.

John Tanner

Caster
Now On View

Maker

John Tanner (American, 1713-1785)

Title

Caster

Year

1700s

Medium

  • silver

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • silver

Materials

silver

Geography

Place Made: Newport; Place Made: Rhode Island

Dimensions

10.2 x 5.1 cm (4 x 2 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Family relic to E.B. Folger

E*C to E*B

Marks: J T

Marks: X

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Works of Art Fund

Object Number

43.347

Type

  • Metalwork

Publications

  • Books

A Handbook of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

Exhibition History

Trading Earth
Ceramics, Commodities, and Commerce
Apr 09, 2022 – Jul 20, 2025

Label copy

In addition to sugar bowls and chocolate pots made from ceramic, versions were also fashioned from silver, along with a whole new array of implements that were devised to sprinkle, shake, and deliver sugar onto and into foods and beverages. Pierced casters held sugar, as well as dried mustard and other spices, while sugar sifters and tongs were designed in a variety of styles.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

John Tanner (American, 1713-1785)
Caster, 1700s
Silver
10.2 x 5.1 cm (4 x 2 inches)
Museum Works of Art Fund 43.347

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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