Artifact: Basin
Materials: Pewter
Dimensions: Height: 2 in. Diameter: 8 in.
Date: 1756-1785
Origin: Boston
Collection: MetMuseum
License: OASC
Ledger Entry: Bason (Basin)
Department: Foodways
Customer: Jane North
Ledger Page: 322
Imported From:
Product Description
A bason (more commonly spelled basin today) was a round container made of metal, earthenware, or wood. A bason could be used for storage, processing, or cooking.
Citation: Katharine E. Harbury, Colonial Virginia's Cooking Dynasty (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2004); Andrew F. Smith, ed., The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007)
Historical Price: 4 shillings, 12 pence; Modern USD: $56
Product Variations
The databases record purchases of thirty-five basins. The only material noted is pewter, however the price range indicates that others were made of various types of ceramic. These range in price from ten and a half pence for a small basin to three shillings nine pence for a pewter basin.
