By the mid-18th century, fashionable society in American began to rival the gentry in Europe and England. Popular entertainment included afternoon punch, and proper equipage such as punch bowls, ladles, and strainers, which were fashioned out of silver, became a necessity for the affluent patron who wished to impress guests. Traditionally, punch was made from five ingredients: water, sugar, lemon or other fruit juices, spices, and sprits (usually rum).
Credit: Gift of the Antiquarian Society through Mrs. C. Phillip Miller
1743/60
Silver
2.9 x 27.4cm
1943.799
Image and text courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago, 2019
Where you'll find this
Art Institute of Chicago
Permanent collection