Claret jug
The British manufacturer James Dixon & Sons was the largest producer of Britannia metal during the nineteenth century. Britannia metal is a tin alloy similar to pewter, but contains a higher percentage of antimony and less copper or lead. This composition made the metal more lustrous and malleable. Britannia metal became popular in Victorian domestic wares for its affordability, when the market for pewter wares experienced a revival.
Artwork Details
- Title: Claret jug
- Maker: James Dixon & Sons (British, founded Sheffield, 1806)
- Date: ca. 1870–79
- Culture: British, Sheffield
- Medium: Britannia metal
- Dimensions: confirmed: 11 5/16 × 6 3/4 in. (28.7 × 17.1 cm)
- Classification: Metalwork-Base Metal
- Credit Line: Gift of Mr. Robert M. Parmelee and Mrs. William L. Parker, 1916
- Object Number: 16.116.58
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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