Images(4)

Tankard

Date1686-1688

Artist/Maker John Donne 1572 - 1631

OriginEngland, London

MediumPewter

DimensionsOH: 7 1/2"; Diam (base): 5 1/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1959-73

DescriptionTankard: Flat lidded with crenate lip, fully formed rams head thumpiece, drum body with slight entasis, molded base, outward double curved handle terminating in a shield. Lid, body and base moulding decorated in all over (wriggle-work) decoration containing birds and beasts, flowers and acorns and a unique feature, a line engraved portrait of the head and shoulders of James II upon the front of the body, enclosed within an oval frame with stylized drapery to the sides and top with a crowned I to the left of the portrait and a crowned R to the right. A small shaped shield at the top of the handle bears further (wriggle-work) decoration in the form of a winged bird and bandings of a diaper pattern.Label TextThis splendid tankard has survived in a remarkable state. It is the only known instance of a portrait of James II on a piece of English pewter. Royal portraits on pewter parallel their more common appearance on a range of delftware forms. Both the brevity and the unpopularity of James II's reign (1686-1688) may explain, in part, the scarcity of his likeness.Inscription(s)Unidentified coat of arms engraved on shield below hinge on face of handle. Allusion to arms engraved on shield-shaped terminal.Mark(s)Touch mark a hand holding a seal between its thumb and index finger with "I" to the left, "D" to the right, and "1686" above within a beaded circle on interior center-bottom of base (London Touch Plate II, 422; Cotterell 1415A; Peal Addenda 1415A).ProvenanceVendor: Thomas D. & Constance R. Williams, Litchfield, Connecticut.