Tankard 1669 - 1670

This tankard, by an artist known only as FS, is made from silver. Silver is quite soft in its pure form, so the maker would have alloyed it with a harder base metal. This would have been necessary for the tankard to withstand regular use. The process of raising the silver, probably by hammering it around a stake, would have been labor intensive and highly skilled. Notice the gentle planishing marks, a kind of faceting that gives the vessel a subtle shimmer. The handle, meanwhile, was cast, a different process altogether, requiring the creation of a mold. The lid and thumbpiece involve further techniques of joining and finishing. The silversmith was not just a metalworker, but a master of many different techniques. Consider all the time and effort involved in producing this object. It reflects a pre-industrial economy in which value was closely tied to the labor of making. This tankard is not just a functional object, it’s a testament to the skill and artistry of its maker, a reminder that craft is not separate from art, but an essential aspect of it.