An object from The Reflection in the Mirror (1540)
10th February 2026 by | Uncategorized
What Is This?
An object from The Reflection in the Mirror (1540)
In Tudor England, a blackjack was not a weapon, but a drinking vessel.
Made from thick leather, hardened with pitch or resin and sealed to hold liquid, black jacks were commonly used in taverns, households, and even at court. They were lighter and far less fragile than pewter or ceramic vessels, making them practical for daily use.
Black jacks most often held ale or beer and could be surprisingly large. Their dark appearance gave them their name, and they were a familiar sight on tables across England in the sixteenth century.
In The Reflection in the Mirror, the black jack appears as part of everyday life — a reminder that Tudor England was a world of leather, wood, smoke, and sound, not polished marble and silence.
Gemma
The past is never silent.
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