Gunpowder Flask
Maker and role
James Dixon & Sons (estab. 1806, closed Post 1887), Manufacturer
Production date
Circa 1851-1879
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Object detail
Media/Materials
Metal, leather
Measurements
203 3/16" (516.1cm)
Description
Leather-covered powder flasks were not sold until the mid-1800s. Companies like James Dixon & Sons sold flasks covered in multiple types of leather, such as pigskin and goatskin. The covered-up metal was usually of a cheap variety, like tin, but the leatherwork found on these flasks made them relatively expensive items to own. While many of these flasks were sold undecorated, manufacturers also offered flasks stamped with popular designs usually found on their metal flasks. For example, the leather on this flask has been stamped with Dixon’s well-known “pine cone” pattern. This particular Dixon flask is known as a “shotgun flask” and was specifically sold to be used with shotguns.
Gunpowder was sold in bulk and gunpowder flasks were used to carry gunpowder when out in the field.
Gunpowder was sold in bulk and gunpowder flasks were used to carry gunpowder when out in the field.
Object number
59G14/G76-106
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