Dram Cup

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of colonial America with Benjamin Wynkoop's *Dram Cup*, a delicate silver vessel crafted around 1700. This petite masterpiece, standing just 1 3/4 inches tall with a 3 13/16-inch lip diameter, was designed for measuring "drams"—small units of spirits like rum or whiskey, a nod to the era's vibrant tavern culture and social rituals. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it exemplifies early American silversmithing from New York, where Wynkoop, a skilled artisan of Dutch descent, produced luxury goods for the elite. Silver was a prized medium in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, symbolizing wealth and refinement in the New World. Hand-hammered and seamlessly formed, this 2 oz. 12 dwt. (81 g) cup showcases the precision of colonial craftsmanship, its flared lip and sturdy base ensuring both functionality and grace. As a bequest from Alphonso T. Clearwater in 1933, it preserves a tangible link to America's formative years, highlighting how everyday objects like this reflected European influences adapted to burgeoning colonial tastes. Today, the *Dram Cup* invites us to toast to history—imagine it glinting under candlelight at a 1700s gathering, a tiny vessel brimming with stories of trade, craftsmanship, and conviviality.