The Clarke/Cabott Tankard

Artists

Description

Tapering cylindrical form tankard with dolphin thumbpiece, cut card ornament, gadrooning, and deeply molded handle with cylindrical scroll. Raised dome and bud finial. Made around 1690 and presented to the church almost a century later, in 1784, this tankard exemplifies Boston’s late 17th-century Baroque style. The object is also distinguished by its fine engraving, which represents the arms of the Clarke family.

Dimensions

21.6 × 14 cm, 2.1 lb. (8 1/2 × 5 1/2 in.)

Provenance

William Clarke (d. 1710), by descent; to his nephew, William Clarke (d. circa 1723) and Hannah (Appleton) Clarke, by descent; to their daughter, Elizabeth Clarke (1716-1785) and Francis Cabott, gift; to North Church, Salem, 1784-1924, transferred; to First Church in Salem, 1924, sold [through Christie's, New York, January 18, 2007, lot 62]; to Daniel Pollack, gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2016