Description:
Punch pots were an invention of the mid-18th century, which followed exactly the form of contemporary Staffordshire teapots. Unlike punch bowls, included in pictures of riotous parties and their attendant paraphernalia, no contemporary illustrations exist of punch pots in use.The main ingredients of punch are spirits, sugar, nutmeg, spices and water. It can be assumed that punch pots were invented as a more refined means of dealing with this hot alcoholic beverage. The invention of the punch pot was surely closely linked with the introduction of red stoneware teapots in Staffordshire about 1750.These teapots, which were favoured by the Chinese for their ability to withstand the flame of a spirit-lamp, were ideal for making punch and keeping it hot. English creamware, globular-shaped punch pot or punch kettle transfer printed (bat method) in black enamel on one side with the image of "The Pretty Mantua Maker," and on the other side with an image of "An Opera Girl of Paris in the Character of Flora." Both the "Mantua Maker" and "Flora" were taken from engravings by Charles Grignion (1716-1810) after paintings by Michel Vincent Brandoin (1733-1807); the "Mantua Maker" was published in 1772, and "Flora" was published by London print dealer and map seller Robert Sayer (1725-1794) in London, December 1, 1771. This punch pot was possibly manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood who employed these popular prints on numerous examples of his creamware, and transfer printed by the Liverpool firm of John Sadler (1720-1789) and Guy Green (w.1750-1799) of Liverpool, who worked together until Sadler's retirement in 1770; Green continued alone, printing Wedgwood's creamware at least until Josiah's death in 1795 and possibly as late as 1799. Although there is some evidence that punch was drunk from vessels like these, these large pots more likely contained hot water for refreshing tea leaves in the teapot. Contemporay hot punch included a blend of spirits and milk or water, flavored with oranges, lemons, sugar and spices. The pot has an attached molded loop handle and curved spout, both with acanthus leaf decoration; and an inset circular lid with a knob finial. Also see the transfer-printed tiles with the same images of the "Mantua Maker" (HD 2007.2.2) and "Flora" (HD 2009.2), and the plates with the image of Flora (HD 81.061-.062).
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2007.2.1 |
