Fire Bucket

Art Historical Context

Step into the practical world of 18th American homes with this unassuming yet essential *Fire Bucket* from 1784.ed anonymously during the early years of the United States, this leather vessel measures 48.3 × 21 cm (19 × 8¼ in.) and served as a vital furniture accessory in the "Arts of the Americas." In an era before organized fire departments or hoses, households and communities relied on such buckets—filled with water or sand—to combat blazes, often passed hand-to-hand in bucket brigades. Its presence in the Art Institute of Chicago highlights how everyday objects embodied survival and ingenu...