Tankard

Art Historical Context

Step into the refined world of 19th American craftsmanship with this charming pewter tankard by Roswell Gleason, a master silversmith and pewterer from Medford, Massachusetts. Standing at just 5⅛ inches tall, this compact vessel was designed for everyday use—perfect for pouring ale or cider during family gatherings or tavern toasts. Crafted between 1821 and 1871, Gleason's active years, it exemplifies the durability and subtle elegance of pewter, an affordable alloy of tin, antimony, and copper that brought a silvery sheen to middle-class homes before mass-produced glass and ceramics took over. Pewter tankards like this one hold cultural significance as symbols of early American domestic life and self-reliance. Gleason, one of the last great pewterers in New England, marked his pieces with his distinctive touchmark, ensuring quality amid the growing Industrial Revolution. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this tankard—gifted in 1940 by Mrs. J. Insley Blair—offers a tangible link to a time when hand-hammered metalware was both functional art and a mark of prosperity. Its smooth, tapered form invites you to imagine the clink of pewter in a bustling colonial hearth.