Collection Highlights
At the Battle of Palo Alto
Date:
1846
Object Number:
PR.068.24
Medium:
Lithograph
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Museum Collections
Luce Center
Mug
Object Number:
1973.6a
Date:
1794
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 4 5/8 x 3 1/4 x 4 3/4 in. ( 11.7 x 8.3 x 12.1 cm )
Silver Weight: 8 oz (troy) 5 dwt (257 g)
Marks:
Inscription: engraved on front center: "B M W" in bright-cut foliate script.
Maker's Mark: stamped on base: "I * V" in a rectangle, "P" in roman letters in a rectangle; unidentifiable pseudohallmark (possibly an eagle).
Description:
Wrought silver mug; circular body with straight sides tapering from the molded base band to the rim; double-scroll handle, forked at solid scroll terminal; engraved on the center front, "B M W" in bright-cut script; maker's marks on the base.
Gallery Label:
According to its original bill of sale, this mug was ordered by Benjamin White (1755-1841) from New York silversmith John Vernon on September 12, 1794, along with a sugar dish, milk pot, tea tongs, and six "table spoons" and "tea spoons" (also at N-YHS). Silver for the "mugg" cost £4.0.3, and its "fash[ion]n[ing]" or construction, £2.8. The engraved initials on the mug suggest that White, a merchant from Shrewsbury, New Jersey, purchased it for his own use. As the invoice shows, the material used for silver goods was far more expensive than the labor.
Credit Line:
Purchase
Provenance:
Purchased by Benjamin White (1755-1841) in 1794; acquired by Shrubsole Inc., New York, prior to 1973; purchased by the N-YHS, 1973.
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
