James T. Woolley
Covered Tankard
1899-1919
Physical Qualities
Sterling silver, 8 1/8 x 5 x 7 1/8 in. (20.6 x 12.7 x 18.1 cm) Weight: 27.5 troy ounces
Credit Line
Purchase with exchange funds from Bequest of Edna May Kahn, Gift of J. Benjamin Katzner, and Bequest of Elise Agnes Daingerfield
Object Number
2011.327
20th-century Colonial Revival objects, such as this skillfully worked tankard, marked JW and Sterling/Woolley, sidestepped avant-garde trends in modern design to revisit the past. Inspired by multiple 18th-century examples, this Boston-made piece replicates no specific precedent. James Woolley was less concerned with historical precision than with creating an enticing invitation to nostalgia, adding the dimension of time to a three-dimensional object.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 2011; Spencer Marks, MA
Go Mobile (2014 reinstall)
Inscribed: Engraved monogram "T" over "A*M"
Markings: Bottom: 'JW' and 'Sterling/Woolley'
On View at the BMA
