Delftware is a variety of earthenware with tin oxide added to its lead glaze formula to give an opaque white effect that was often used to imitate, or at least suggest, the appearance of Chinese porcelain. First produced in England in the late 1500s, delftware grew in popularity in the 1600s as potteries flourished in London, Bristol, and elsewhere in the British Isles. Metallic oxides provided a range of colors for decoration: cobalt for blue, manganese for purple, iron for red, copper for green, and antimony for yellow. Delftware was relatively soft and chipped easily. By the mid-1700s, more durable soft-paste porcelains and salt-glazed stonewares grew in popularity; by the early 1800s, delftware production in England had declined dramatically.

Punch, which became popular during the seventeenth century, was typically a mixture of distilled spirit (usually rum), water, sugar, citrus juice, and spice. Mixed in and served from bowls of various sizes, punch was a favorite for convivial gatherings during the eighteenth century. Sometimes these bowls carry inscriptions that suggest the social context in which they were used. Repeated rounds of toasts frequently accompanied punch drinking, giving structure to the social ritual, and some bowls feature the inscribed texts of brief toasts to the health or success of an individual or enterprise. In this example, “Success to the British Arms” celebrates military victories of the Seven Years’ War of 1756 to 1763.