WILLIAMSBURG — On Tuesday, Aug. 17, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation announced that it has incorporated into its collection a silver tankard created by icon of the American Revolution, Paul Revere.
The tankard, which dates to circa 1795, was made by the colonial silversmith. It was acquired as a result of the generosity of The Friends of the Colonial Williamsburg Collections and will be incorporated as part of the Foundation’s American and British silverware collection.
“Colonial Williamsburg has long sought a significant example of Revere’s work,” said Ronald L. Hurst, the Foundation’s Carlisle H. Humelsine collection chief curator and vice president for museums, preservation and historic resources. “With its impressive size, fine detail, and excellent condition, this tankard fills a significant void in our American silver holdings.”
The tankard is described by the Foundation as nearly 10 inches tall and can hold 48 ounces of liquid. In an Aug. 17 release from the Foundation, it states, “The tankard has a lighter appearance thanks to its scrolled openwork thumbpiece. It lacks engraving, which leaves the identity of its owner a mystery.”
Revere was a Massachusetts-based silversmith who has gone down in American history for his contributions during the American Revolution, particularly for his ride that occurred on April 18, 1775. Revere was also a renowned silversmith, engraved bookplates and prints, started the first successful copper rolling mill in the United States, and established a bell and cannon foundry.
The tankard is now on view with the circa 1765 Revere silver porringer, another recent acquisition of a 1765 Revere silver porringer, which was at the bequest of Joseph H. and June S. Hennage. The Foundation notes that these pieces will be incorporated into the exhibition, Silver from Mine to Masterpiece in the Margaret Moore Hall Gallery at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.