William III Westerwald Gorge

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This Westerwald fragment was part of a German ale mug known as a gorbe. It is decorated with a medallion featuring King William III, also known as William of Orange, who ruled from 1689 to 1702. This fragment was unearthed by a City of Boston Archaeology Program volunteer during the excavation of the Pierce-Hichborn House in the North End. The existing brick house on site was constructed in 1711 by Moses Pierce, a skilled window glazier. Before its construction, a wooden house stood on the property, but it burned down in 1676. The gorbe likely belonged to Mary Pierce, Moses's mother, who owned the property before him. Provenience: PHH-235-040.