Cann

1783
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 750
Cann, a term used interchangeably with mug during the eighteenth century, refers to a pear- or tulip-shaped drinking vessel with scroll handle and circular foot. This exceptionally large pair was made for Elias Hasket Derby (1739–1799) and his wife Elizabeth, whose interlaced script monogram, EHED, is engraved on the front of each. Derby was a wealthy shipping merchant in Salem, Massachusetts. In April of 1783, Revere recorded in his ledger that he was making a pair of "quart canns for E. H. Darby, Esq." A set of silver beakers by Revere (58.3.1-.4), as well as several pieces of furniture and Chinese export porcelain in the Museum's collection, also belonged to Derby.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cann
  • Maker: Paul Revere Jr. (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1734–1818 Boston, Massachusetts)
  • Date: 1783
  • Geography: Made in Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Silver
  • Dimensions: Overall: 6 9/16 x 6 1/2 in. (16.7 x 16.5 cm); 22 oz. 7 dwt. (695 g)
    Lip: Diam. 4 in. (10.2 cm)
    Foot: Diam. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
  • Credit Line: Sansbury-Mills Fund, 1958
  • Object Number: 58.3.5
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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