Images(4)

Flagon

Date1740-1753

Marked by Thomas Carpenter (active ca. 1713-1765)

OriginEngland, London

MediumPewter

DimensionsOH: 13 1/4" OW: 7 7/8" OD: 6 3/8"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number2008-85

Description"Spire flagon" with broad, stepped foot, tapered cylindrical body with high double band; double-scrolled handle; tall thumbpiece with five-knuckle hinge; and stepped, domed lid surmounted by a double knobbed finial.
Label TextEspecially in the non-conformist Protestant churches of New England, pewter was often considered a suitable material for communion vessels. Made in London by pewterer Thomas Carpenter, this flagon is typical of those exported to the American colonies. The engraved inscription records it as “The Gift of / Deacon David How / to the first Church / of Christ in / Lebanon / 1753.” In the same year, another member of that Connecticut congregation gave the church an identical flagon.
InscribedFace engraved "The Gift of / Deacon David How / to the first Church / of Christ in / Lebanon / 1753" within a foliate roundel.
MarkingsPsuedo hallmarks stamped on body below the rim.
ProvenanceGift to the Church of Christ, Lebanon, CT.
Sold Northeast Auctions, Manchester, NH, August 1-3, 2008, lot # 1326.