Images(2)

Mug

Dateca. 1745

OriginAsia, China, Jingdezhen

MediumHard-paste porcelain

DimensionsOH: 5"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1973-172

DescriptionBell-shaped mug with blue, red, and gilt decoration in the Imari style.Label TextChinese porcelain decorated in blue, red, and gold was very popular in colonial America. This palette was first developed in Japan and later copied on Chinese wares sent to the West. The colors are known today as Imari, after the Japanese port through which the originals were shipped.

Mugs were often listed on period inventories along with their capacities. For example, Nicholas Flood of Richmond owned “2 Quart china mugs” and “2 Pint china mugs” when he died in 1776. Consumers purchased them in a range of sizes similar to punch bowls, which were also frequently listed by capacity. The household inventory of Peyton Randolph of Williamsburg included “5 China mugs.” Mugs were most likely used for consuming alcoholic beverages such as beer and cider.Inscription(s)NoneMark(s)NoneProvenanceDen Of Antiquity, Wellesley, MA