Description

An American silver covered pitcher by Benjamin Burt. Boston, Mass. circa 1780. Height 11 1/8 inches 42 oz. This large pitcher is much rarer than a tankard. There are plenty of eighteenth century tankards that have added spouts…with this one that is clearly not the case. It’s curved sides show that it was not made as a Boston tankard. The obvious balance to the design impart clearly that it was originally made thus. It’s perfectly formed spout with hinged cover is framed by the engraving on each side. One is an eighteenth century sailing vessel and on the other side is a coat of arms with the Latin saying “ad coelum spiro”….from the earth to heaven above. Burt would sit in the back room of the Salutation tavern with Paul Revere, Sam Adams and other prominent Whigs to drink and talk politics.