Cloak Peg (one of a pair)

This pair of enamel cloak pins features a portrait of George Washington, transfer-printed on enamel. Washington’s portrait was likely copied from one of the numerous engravings of the first president, which circulated widely during the period. Depictions of Washington were marketed to American consumers in the form of prints, paintings, clocks, ceramics, printed textiles, furniture hardware, and other items. Manufacturers in England and France were quick to catch on to the trend and produce designs for the American market.

Cloak pins served multiple functions in early American homes, providing a convenient place to hang a garment, to hold back curtains, or as decorative points from which to suspend paintings and looking glasses. The transfer-printed medallions were produced in large quantities and applied to a wide range of uses as drawer pulls, box lids, and decorative miniature portraits. Often, the medallions had to be resized for uses other than those which were originally intended, explaining why some of the text has been cropped on these examples. These pins were produced in England, which had a strong industry in the production of both brass hardware and enamels during the period. Much of the hardware used in America during the 18th and early 19th centuries was produced in England.