Bowl
PeriodCirca 1750
Place MadeEngland
MediumBuff earthenware with tin glaze
Dimensions6.13 × 12.13 in. (15.6 × 30.8 cm)
ClassificationsEarthenware
Credit LineBequest of Miss Antoinette Dwight, 1965
Object number1979.525.1
DescriptionLarge deep punch bowl of buff earthenware, with a tall straight foot. The bowl is glazed with a bright white tin glaze. The bowl's exterior is decorated with deep cobalt blue floral and scroll repeating design. A simple, narrow foliate band is painted along the inside rim.Curatorial RemarksThe size and shape of this lovely blue and white bowl indicates its use as a punch bowl. Punch was one of the most beloved alcoholic drinks of the eighteenth century. While private households often had a punch bowl, taverns were the places where such vessels were most likely to be found. An archaeological dig at Arell's Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia, uncovered the remnants of more than 50 punch bowls. Shrewsbury tavernkeeper Josiah Halstead, who ran one of the most successful taverns in the area from 1754 to 1770, would have had a number of punchbowls of various sizes for his customers. Punch could be served either hot or cold depending upon the season. The main ingredient was either rum or brandy, with citrus juice, sugar, water, and other elements added. A punch recipe created by Benjamin Franklin called for, among much else, six quarts of brandy, the rinds of 44 lemons, two pounds of sugar, and three quarts of milk, boiled and mixed together.
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