Image

Samuel Vernon

Tankard, ca. 1720

Description

Maker

Title

Tankard

Year

ca. 1720

Medium

Silver

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Dimensions

22.2 x 24.8 x 15.2 cm (8 3/4 x 9 3/4 x 6 inches) (maximum)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

This unusually large tankard bears lengthy inscriptions indicating its significance as an heirloom of the Ellery family of Newport beginning in the eighteenth century and continuing through the twentieth century:

“This tankard / was bequeathed a.d. 1743 / by Benjamin Ellery of Newport, r.i. / to his son Wm. Ellery, the father of William Ellery, / one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence / and the grandfather of Wm. Ellery / the father of Elizabeth D. Sedgwick / William Ellery Sedgwick, Sept. 6th, 1862 / Robert Sedgwick, April 16th, 1873 / Henry Renwick Sedgewick, February 13th, 1922.”

It bears the Ellery coat of arms on the lid and the Sedgwick coat of arms on the opposite side. Later owners added a spout to the front, requiring the flat lid to be bent upward.

Place

Newport; Rhode Island

Type

Credit

Bequest of Mr. Henry Renwick Sedgwick

Object Number

46.557

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

As a material from which coins are minted and beautiful works of art fashioned, silver possesses a dual identify in signifying success. Status, wealth, education, and elegance were readily conveyed in personal adornments and the silver amassed on the family sideboard, and because sterling was literally worth its weight, it could easily be converted to cash in hard times.

This tankard’s multiple and lengthy inscriptions indicate its significance, beginning in the 18th century and continuing through the 20th century, as an heirloom of the Ellery family of Newport. The maker, Samuel Vernon, was Newport’s first silversmith. Two of his cousins were also prominent silversmiths: John Coddington of Newport and Edward Winslow of Boston.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Tankard with the accession number of 46.557. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.