Thomas Danforth, II
Dish

CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Dish
Datec. 1755–1782
Made inMiddletown, Connecticut, United States
MediumPewter
Dimensions1 × 12 1/8 in. diameter (2.5 × 30.7 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Miss Ima Hogg
Object numberB.60.71
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Murphy Room
Exposé

Explore Further

Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
Description

Pewter is an alloy composed largely of tin, with copper, lead, antimony, and bismuth added to strengthen the metal, create a smooth surface, and enhance its color. Pewter was less expensive than silver and, accordingly, its use more wide-spread. Damaged and outmoded objects retained much of their value since they could be melted down and recast. Thomas Danforth, II’s dish, possibly dating from the 1750s, is probably the earliest example of American pewter in the Bayou Bend collection.

Technical notes: Dishes, as well as plates, saucers, and basins, were cast in a two-part mold. As part of the finishing process, the booge, the curved section between the bottom and the brim, was hammered. This technique strengthened what was a brittle area, reducing the likelihood of cracking from stress. Such handwork, usually limited to colonial examples, was optional, representing an additional production expense.

Related examples: Hood 1965, p. 13, no. 5; Kernan. Ross, and Eilers 1969, pp. 14, 46, no. II; Fairbanks 1974, p. 108, nos. 165, 168; Montgomery 1978, p. 293.

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.


Provenance[Thomas D. and Constance R. Williams, Litchfield, Connecticut]; purchased by Miss Ima Hogg, 1960; given to MFAH, by 1966.
Exhibition HistoryTheta Charity Antiques Show 1989, Houston TX., September 13–17, 1989 (LN:89.33)
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
[no inscriptions]
Mark of Thomas Danforth, II [Laughlin 1940, vol. I, pl. LIII, nos. 362 [double struck], 363]
Incuse: HB, each letter crowned [probably the original owner's initials]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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Cann
Thomas Danforth, II
c. 1755–1818
Pewter
B.69.25
Porringer
Thomas Danforth Boardman
c. 1810–1830
Pewter
B.58.99
Saucer
Thomas Danforth, III
c. 1777–1820
Pewter
B.60.73
Saucer
Thomas Danforth, III
c. 1777–1820
Pewter
B.60.76
Beaker
Thomas Danforth, III
c. 1777–1818
Pewter
B.60.62
Porringer
Thomas Danforth Boardman
c. 1810–1830
Pewter
B.56.186.1
Plate
Joseph Danforth, Sr.
c. 1779
Pewter
B.2006.16
Porringer
Samuel Danforth
c. 1795–1816
Pewter
B.58.97
Plate
John Danforth
c. 1762–1793
Pewter
B.60.74
Beaker
Edward Danforth
c. 1786–1800
Pewter
B.60.61
Cann
Joseph Danforth, Sr.
c. 1779–1788
Pewter
B.60.65
Cann
Joseph Danforth, Sr.
c. 1779–1788
Pewter
B.60.66