Rummer

The rummer is engraved with a script monogram, possibly for James Phillips (b. 1783) or his brother Thomas Phillips (b. 1790), centered within a neoclassical floral garland. While the first of the quadrants provides a clue to identify the glass’s provenance, the three remaining sections reference the very reason for its fabrication.

These consist of a motto and two elaborate vignettes. The first is engraved “THE SEALED OF THE LORD,” and is taken directly from the certificates that Joanna Southcott (1750–1814), a self-described religious prophetess, sold to her faithful. The full inscription from the certificate reads, “The sealed of the lord—the elect precious man’s redemption—to inherit the tree of life—to be made heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.” The two remaining quadrants depict the tree of life and the redemption, wherein the ladder is symbolic of Christ and forms a bridge between this earthly world and Heaven.