Tile: “Landing of the Pilgrims 1620”

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

This tile depicts an event that had already attained mythical status by the early 19th century- the landing of the Pilgrims on Cape Cod in 1620. The earthenware tile with a blue transfer print communicates what were, by the 19th century, the key elements of the story. The tiny Mayflower lies anchored offshore while a small party debarks onto Plymouth Rock. The forbidding, snowy coastline presages the hardships of the first winter and the country’s Indigenous inhabitants observe watchfully.

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Details

Item typeCeremonial/Commemorative Objects
Crafts, Decorative Art
Pottery
CreatorUnidentified
Datecirca 1820
PlaceEngland; Massachusetts
EraColonial settlement, 1620–1762
National Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860
MaterialClay
Process/FormatCeramic
Dimension detailsHeight: 6.00 in Width: 6.00 in
Catalog #1938.03.01.01
View this item in our curatorial database →
Unidentified. [Tile: “Landing of the Pilgrims 1620”.] ca. 1820. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1938-03-01-01/. Accessed on December 5, 2024.

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