Quart Measure
Medium
Pewter
Dimensions
H. 10 in. (25.4 cm)
Classification
Quart measure
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Clara L-S Weber Gift, 1979
Accession Number
1979.449
Art Historical Context
Step into the everyday elegance of 19th-century with *Quart Measure*, crafted in 1835 by the skilled pewterers Boardman and Hart. Standing at a practical 10 inches (25.4 cm) tall, this unassuming vessel exemplifies the functional beauty of American decorative arts. Pewter, an alloy primarily of tin with traces of antimony and copper, was prized for its malleability, silvery sheen, and affordability—ideal for household items before mass-produced glass and ceramics dominated. In the bustling markets and taverns of antebellum America, quart measures like this one ensured fair trade in liquids su...