Description:
Leather mug with a strap handle wrapped with a thin strip of leather, with the base fitting into a small pocket; the mug is stitched together at the handle. Using vegetable tannins as a preservative, the tanning process rendered the leather hide pliable when dry and resistant to water and rot. Leather drinking vessels were very popular in the 17th and early 18th centuries when glass, metals and ceramics were still relatively expensive. Two common forms were blackjacks (large flagon-like drinking vessels) and bottles.

Subjects:
Leather

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+1849

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