18th-Century Old Sheffield Plate Lidded Tankard, Circa 1760
18th-Century Old Sheffield Plate Lidded Tankard, Circa 1760
An appealing and increasingly scarce Old Sheffield Plate half-pint lidded tankard, dating from around 1760. Handsomely proportioned and made for everyday use at the table, it is a particularly evocative example of early English plated wares from the formative decades of the Old Sheffield Plate industry.
The tankard has a traditional cylindrical form with a hinged cover, thumbpiece, and handle, its compact half-pint size lending it a pleasingly intimate character. The softly aged silver surface carries the warmth and subtle irregularity so characteristic of Old Sheffield Plate, the historic process in which sheets of silver were fused to a copper core before being shaped into finished objects. Developed in Sheffield in the mid-18th century, this innovation made elegant silver-like tableware available to a wider market while retaining the quality, weight, and visual appeal of precious-metal objects.
Lidded tankards were a familiar feature of Georgian dining and drinking culture. The cover helped protect the contents, while the practical hinged mechanism and sturdy handle made the vessel suitable for regular use. This example's restrained design is typical of the early Georgian taste: functional, balanced, and quietly elegant rather than heavily ornamented.
Now over 250 years old, it is a charming survivor from the early history of British plated silver. It would make a fine addition to a collection of Georgian tableware, Old Sheffield Plate, or antique drinking vessels, and would display beautifully in a dining room, library, or cabinet of curiosities.
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