Communion Dish
date: label: date made
content: ca 1764
label: presentation date
content: 1764
notes: label: Description
content: <p>Large circular dish having a slightly domed well and plain-edged rim engraved on front with the inscription "The Gift of the Hon:\ble THOMAS HANCOCK ESQ:\R to the CHURCH in Brattle Street Boston 1764." in script and shaded roman letters. Asymmetrical cartouche at top center of rim contains an armorial device for Hancock, consisting of a griffin rampant crest, its wings displayed and fire issuing from its mouth, above a coat of arms Gules (vertical lines), dexter hand couped argent, and on chief argent, three fighting cocks gules; bottom center has a four-winged cherub flanked by flowing fronds. Reverse of well struck once under centerpoint "J.COBURN" in roman letters in a rectangle; partially legible incised marks "N\o (??) w\t 25-\oz".</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Community leaders in early America often gave valuable gifts to their churches. Thomas Hancock funded the purchase of this communion dish to Boston’s Brattle Street Church. Such gifts helped establish a wealthy donor as an important member of the congregation and helped cement their legacy.</p>
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Boston
label: place used
content: United States: Massachusetts, Boston
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
label: See more items in
content: Giving in America
label: See more items in
content: Domestic Furnishings
label: Exhibition
content: Giving in America
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Estate of Arthur Michael
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.383497
label: catalog number
content: 383497
label: accession number
content: 162866
objectType: label: Object Name
content: dish
label: Object Name
content: paten
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silver (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 1/8 in x 13 1/8 in; 2.8575 cm x 33.3375 cm