Cup
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
14.6 × 7 × 9.5 cm (5 3/4 × 7 × 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
drinking vessel
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
62542
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Boston goldsmith and jeweler Benjamin Pierpont made this cup—part of a set of four identical vessels—that was given by Deacon Obadiah Dickinson (1704–1788) to the Church of Christ in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Dickinson was prominent in church and local affairs and also possessed extensive land holdings in the area. Puritan theology dominated the region, and the simple form of the cup along with the use of silver was symbolic of purity. The two handles on the vessel allowed the cup to be easily pa...