Dram Cup
1680–1700
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 1 7/8 x 6 1/4 in. (4.8 x 15.9 cm); 2 oz. 10 dwt. (78.3 g) Lip: Diam. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
Classification
Cup
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Alphonso T. Clearwater, 1933
Accession Number
33.120.218
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate *Dram Cup* crafted by Jacob Boelen 1680–1700, a exquisite example of early American silverwork now housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing. Measuring just 1 7/8 x 6 1/4 inches with a 4 1/2-inch lip diameter and weighing a mere 2 oz. 10 dwt., this petite vessel was designed for sipping drams—small measures of spirits popular in colonial households. Bequeathed by Alphonso T. Clearwater in 1933, it embodies the refined craftsmanship of New York's burgeoning silversmith trade. Boelen, a skilled artisan of Dutch descent active in late 17th-century New York, exe...