Mug with 16 States of the United States

Label

Vessels commemorating Revolutionary figures and scenes became popular in the century following the American Revolution. Some were marketed to middle-class homes, like the blue boat salt dish commemorating the farewell tour of military officer Marquis de Lafayette, the mug with sixteen states of the United States, or the pitcher featuring political portraits, patriotic symbols, and quotes promoting “equity to ALL mankind” even though nearly one million people were enslaved when this object was made. Others were intended for special occasions, like the century vase designed to commemorate the nation’s one hundredth anniversary. It features historical scenes relating to the country’s founding, portraits of Washington, and buffalo-head handles. These scenes promote equal partnership between the US and Native nations but diminish the consequences of militarized expansion and land dispossession. No object can tell a full history, but artists choose who and what to promote or leave out. When we reflect on the treatment of Indigenous and Black people during this time, what are alternative ways we could understand the celebratory scenes of the century vase or the pitcher’s promises of peace and justice?

From the 2025-26 exhibition Revolution Reconsidered: History, Myth, and Propaganda, curated by Michael W. Hartman (Jonathan Little Cohen Curator of American Art), Haely Chang (Jane and Raphael Bernstein Associate Curator of East Asian Art), Elizabeth Rice Mattison (Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programming and Curator of European Art), Ashley B. Offill (Curator of Collections), and Evonne Fuselier (Hood Museum Board of Advisors Mutual Learning Fellow)

Exhibition History

Revolution Reconsidered: History, Myth, and Propaganda, Harteveldt Family Gallery and Owen Robertson Cheatham Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 18, 2025 - August 8, 2026.

Provenance

Professor Franics Lane Childs (Class of 1906, 1884-1973), Hanover, New Hampshire; bequeathed to present collection, 1973.

This record is part of an active database that includes information from historic documentation that may not have been recently reviewed. Information may be inaccurate or incomplete. We also acknowledge some language and imagery may be offensive, violent, or discriminatory. These records reflect the institution’s history or the views of artists or scholars, past and present. Our collections research is ongoing.

We welcome questions, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. Please contact us at: Hood.Collections@dartmouth.edu

Subjects