Harvard Art Museums > 873.1927: "The John Vassal Tankard" Vessels Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation""The John Vassal Tankard" (Joseph Kneeland) , 873.1927,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 26, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/232227. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 873.1927 People Joseph Kneeland, American (Boston, MA 1700 - 1740 Boston, MA) Title "The John Vassal Tankard" Classification Vessels Work Type vessel Date c. 1729 Places Creation Place: North America, United States, Massachusetts, Boston Culture American Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/232227 Physical Descriptions Medium Silver Dimensions 17.2 x 11.9 cm (6 3/4 x 4 11/16 in.) Inscriptions and Marks inscription: Mark, near lip at side: Kneeland. Inscription, bottom: Donum Joannis Vassale / Commensalis / A.D. 1729. Engraved, front, with Vassal arms . Provenance Recorded Ownership History John Vassal, Class of 1732, gift to the President and Fellows of Harvard College, 1729. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Loan from Harvard University; Gift to Harvard College from John Vassal, Class of 1732, 1729 Object Number 873.1927 Division European and American Art Contact am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Commentary The following eight vessels constitute Harvard's ceremonial silver. They are taken out of Harvard Art Museum storage and displayed only for the most important occasions, most notably for presidential inaugurations. Information about their history and display are in the files of the University Portrait Collection: "The John Vassal Tankard", by Joseph Kneeland, American, 873.1927 "The William Vassal Tankard" by Joseph Kneeland, 874.1927 "The Dunster Tankard" by Ephraim Cobb, American, 876.1927 "The Stoughton Cup" by John Coney, American, 877.1927.A-B "The Holyoke Caudle Cup" by John Coney, 878.1927 "The Hedge Tankard" by Edward Winslow, American, 879.1927 "The Great Salt", unidentified British maker, 881.1927 "The Browne Cup," by John Burt, American, 882.1927.A-B This pair of tankards documents the designation of John Vassal (Class of 1732) and William Vassal (Class of 1733) as "Fellow Commoners." In return for a donation of silver and higher tuition, Fellow Commoners were listed at the head of their class, addressed as "Mister," and dined at the high table in the commons Hall. Publication History Sandra Grindlay, "Harvard's Portraits: An American Treasure", Harvard University Art Museums Review (Fall 1992), vol. II, no. 1, pp. 6-7, p. 6 Timothy Anglin Burgard, American Art at Harvard: Cultures and Contexts, brochure, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 1994), p. 10, cat. 14 Jeannine Skerry, "'Ancient and Valuable Gifts': Silver at Colonial Harvard", New England Silver and Silversmithing, 1620-1815, The Colonial Society of Massachusetts (Boston, MA, 2001), pp. 183-209, p. 190-191, fig. 5 Jeannine Falino, ed., New England Silver & Silversmithing 1620-1815, The Colonial Society of Massachusetts (Boston, MA, 2001), Pp. 190-191, Fig. 5; Pp. 183-209 Peter Benes and D. Brenton Simons, The Art of Family: Geneological Artifacts in New England, New England Historic Genealogical Society and Northeastern University Press (Boston, Mass., 2002), repr. as fig. 4 on p. 181 [with 874.1927] Exhibition History American Art at Harvard: Cultures and Contexts, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 10/01/1994 - 12/30/1994 The Persistence of Memory: Continuity and Change in American Cultures, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 07/29/1995 - 05/13/2001 32Q: 2340 Cabinet Gallery, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 09/24/2019 Related Articles Showcasing Our Silver December 12, 2013 Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu