Hot Water Plate
1761–93
Medium
Pewter
Dimensions
H. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); Diam. 9 7/16 in. (24 cm)
Classification
Hot water plate
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.27
Art Historical Context
Nestled in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, *Hot Water Plate* by Henry Will exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of colonial American pewterers. Crafted between 1761 and 1793, this modest yet elegant piece measures 1¾ inches high 9⅜ inches in, fashioned from pewter—a durable, affordable alloy of tin, antimony, and copper prized for its silvery sheen and malleability. Will, a skilled New York pewterer, marked his work with distinctive touchmarks, reflecting the era's guild-like traditions among artisan makers. Pewter objects like this hot water plate were essential to 18th-cent...