February, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



55 



of this particular type of pewter, and the treasured Colonial 

 teapots might be included in the list of pewter vessels used 

 for flavoring, as some experts go so far as to claim that the 

 flavor of tea as well as that of spirituous beverages was im- 

 proved when served from pewter pots. In the two Colonial 



out any attempt at ornamentation, but which show fine tex- 

 ture and luster because of their plainness. 



The pewter ware of Washington's mess chest and his 

 camp outfit are treasured not alone because of their associa- 

 tions but also for their characteristic types of early Colonial 



A Sixteenth Century Pewter 

 Flagon, Surrounded with 

 Two Bands of Allegorical 

 Figures in Relief 



Pewter Salver, Embossed with Medallions, 

 Containing Allegorical Representations. 

 Made by F. Briot in the Sixteenth 

 Century 



An Old German Tankard, Made 

 in Nuremberg, 1695. Height, 

 2 Feet 2 Vz inches ; Diameter 

 at Bottom, 1 1 inches 



teapots illustrated the tall and slender specimen is the type 

 usually found in celebrated collections. There is a quaint 

 ancient teapot in the Humphreys collection, standing on low 

 feet of heavy pewter and with the breadth through the body 

 of the pot measuring nearly as great as the height. The 

 tankard illustrated in connection with the pewter tray and 

 an English decanter slide, used at Clean Drinking Manor, 

 Md., during the Revolution, is a form frequently found in 

 old collections to-day. There is one similar, carefully pre- 

 served in the writer's family, that is used "on state occasions" 

 as a syrup jug, as it closely resembles the old stone molasses 

 jugs with the tight fitting lid of Colonial days. A curious 

 type of tankard, made in Nuremberg in 1695, is of the 

 proportions most frequently found, measuring in height 

 somewhat over twice its diameter. Its peculiarity consists 

 in the novel ornamentation bearing the Hall Marks. 



The sixteenth century pewter flagon, surrounded with 

 two bands of allegorical figures in relief, displays an interest- 

 ing method of early decoration, and the allegorical figures 

 also found on the salver made by F. Briot in the sixteenth 

 century, is another good example of the intricate designs in 

 which the early pewter manufacturers delighted in decorat- 

 ing their wares. There is a slightly similar salver in the 

 Pennsylvania Museum very elaborately embellished with re- 

 lief medallions illustrative of Bible stories. In the center 

 is a representation of Noah and his family surrounded by 

 beasts, offering sacrifices to God after leaving the Ark. 

 Around the border are designs representing the Garden of 

 Eden, the Temptation, the Expulsion, and Abraham about 

 to sacrifice Isaac. The spaces between these medallions are 

 filled with a handsome pattern consisting of a vase sur- 

 rounded by arabesques and two cherubs' heads above. These 

 beautifully embellished specimens are in decided contrast to 

 the majority of salvers, plates and long oval platters found 

 in many Colonial collections, which are entirely plain, with- 



pewter; and the matchlock snuffers which were used at Clean 

 Drinking Manor, Md., during the Revolution, present a 

 distinct form. The early Colonial candlestick is severely 

 plain in direct contrast to a beautiful fluid lamp in the same 

 collection. The latter is highly ornamental, being a copy of 

 Pompeiian forms. There are several fine specimens of fluid 

 lamps and wine flagons of Colonial days in the Bloomfield 

 Moore collection of the Pennsylvania Museum. 



No collection of pewter is considered quite complete with- 

 out an ancient spoon rack filled with quaint old pewter 

 spoons of battered form and unwieldly dimensions. The 

 oldest samples plainly show the method of their manufacture 

 — that of casting. In fact, many old pewters still plainly 

 indicate their distinct methods of shaping. It is well known 

 that all pewter wares were shaped chiefly in three ways. 

 Measures and spoons are said to have been cast in molds of 

 brass, made of two closely fitting but detachable halves, the 

 surface of the mold being powdered over with sandarach or 

 painted over with white of egg or oil before use, to prevent 

 adhesion. Plates and dishes were made preferably by ham- 

 mering, while in large establishments, sugar bowls, milk jugs 

 and similar articles were often produced by "spinning," that 

 is, by pressing a flat piece of pewter against a rapidly revolv- 

 ing blunt tool, and thus raising it into the desired shape. 



At the Chicago Exposition in 1893 highly decorative 

 work in pewter was exhibited in the Bavarian section. One 

 piece that attracted especial attention of experts was a tall 

 vase or standing cup, the work of Anton Schriener. This 

 is a sample of more recent work, exemplifying modern at- 

 tempts to revive the manufacture of art pewter. But these 

 modern pewters have not met with popular favor; other 

 metals have taken the place of the old "tin and temper," 

 and the only pewter utensils of real value to-day are the 

 treasured heirlooms, the museum collections, and those of 

 the antiquarian displaying distinct and characteristic types. 



