George I Scottish style silver tankard

Very good example of a George I silver tankard in the Scottish style, with a stepped double dome lid surmounted by a bun-shaped finial. The body has a moulded girdle around the lower half and a collet base.

A tankard is a lidded drinking vessel. Unlidded drinking vessels with a handle are called mugs. Although it seems strange now to drink out of a lidded vessel this was the norm until the second half of the 18th century. Perhaps this was because ceilings were not plastered underneath, so without a lid you stood the risk of having dirt, straw and spiders dropping into your ale.