Tankard by silversmith Samuel Minott
date: label: date made
content: 1763
name: label: bequest
content: Michael, Arthur
label: maker
content: Minott, Samuel
notes: label: Description
content: The maker of this tankard is Samuel Minott (1732-1803) of Boston, MA. Minott was a well-known and successful silversmith who probably apprenticed with William Holmes of Boston. He worked as a silversmith in the Boston area, specifically in Charlestown from 1753 to 1776, partnered from 1765 to 1769 with Josiah Austin and with William Simkins in 1770. He also sold groceries and luxury items such as tea and pottery such as Delft. Minott was a Tory, prompting his arrest and confiscation of his property by the Massachusetts Council in 1776. He was not forced to relocate though and was able to reopen his business in Boston by 1786 and then became a goldsmith by 1789, and remained in business until 1803.
label: Description
content: The tankard has a raised stepped-and-domed lid topped by a cast acorn finial and straight tapered sides with applied moldings around rim, midbody and base; body is engraved on front "HD" in conjoined foliate script inside an oval reserve framed by C scrolls, diaper patterning, and trailing pendants of flowers at sides and below. Edge of lid fits over rim of body. Cast S-curve, grooved scroll thumbpiece attaches to five-knuckle hinge with pendant drop. Hollow, D-section, S-curve handle has a domed oval terminal with large oval attachment. Bottom underside inscribed "Richard Derby to E:S Haskit Derby / 1763", above "John Derby / George Derby 1831. / Roger Derby. 1874" in engraved script by two different hands. Struck once on rim exterior to left of handle and on bottom underside above centerpoint "Minott" in raised italic serif letters in a rectangle.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Boston
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
label: See more items in
content: Domestic Furnishings
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.383545
label: catalog number
content: 383545
label: accession number
content: 162866
objectType: label: Object Name
content: tankard
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silver (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 3/8 in x 7 7/8 in x 5 3/8 in; 21.2725 cm x 20.0025 cm x 13.6525 cm