Pewter flagons were used both domestically and ecclesiastically until the eighteenth century, when the form became exclusively a Communion vessel. Prior to the nineteenth century, pewter examples of this form were usually imported from England. American pewterers rarely produced flagons, probably because infrequent commissions did not justify the investment the large molds required.

Technical notes: The lid is secured by a five-part hinge, and its finial is soldered on.

Related examples: Hood 1965, pp. 27–28, no. 106; Kernan, Ross, and Eilers 1969, pp. 29, 61, no. 81; Thomas 1976, p. 136; Krile 1989, pp. 5, 15, no. 24; and an unpublished example at the Albany Institute of History and Art (acc. no. 1974.48.1).

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.