18th century pewter Porringer, circa 1740 – 1770, as in museums and books

This is another early piece coming out of an old Revolutionary War collection. The bulk of this collection has been artillery and military related, but there were also medical and personal items. Being offered is an 18th century porringer, ca. 1740 – 1770.

It is made of pewter and measures 10” overall, with a bowl diameter of 6 ½”, and 2” deep. There are no visible touch marks. These shallow bowls were a ubiquitous part of the colonial kitchen in the 17th and 18th centuries before falling out of widespread use in the early 1800s. The fanciest porringers were made from silver and had elegantly wrought handles made by expert craftsmen like Peter Van Dyck, a noted New York Silversmith.

Porringers have a long and complex history. Used in the British Isles and parts of Western Europe for centuries, porringers traveled west with the Puritan migrations of the early 1600s and survived in their original form in the colonies.

Today, many are displayed in museum collections. Households in New England and in the Mid-Atlantic colonies would have been able to afford more modest porringers, made of pewter, earthenware, or even wood. When not in use, they were often hung by their handles on little hooks in a cupboard or shelf.

The porringer seen extensive use, but remains in nice condition, having an overall untouched patina. These eating utensils were used by both the British and Americans during the Revolutionary War and no doubt found their way into the more permanent installations like the forts. In “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution” by Neumann and Kravic some of these porringers are shown. It would fit in nicely with a Revolutionary War, Medical, or Colonial display.