Name/Title
GorgetEntry/Object ID
L.2011.002.11Description
John Vanall (working in Charleston, 1747-1752)
Gorget
Charleston, SC, ca. 1750
Silver
H. 3 5/8 x W. 5 3/4 inches
Engraved: COL. C.C. PINCKNEY / 1776; stamped on reverse: I·VANALL
Lent by The Charleston Museum, Charleston, SC, HM 1013
American gorgets were a fairly common sight among colonial American patriots. In South Carolina, however, they were far more than simple uniform accoutrements. Evolving over centuries, gorgets like this one shrank from larger, protective throat plates in suits of armor into ornamental symbols of rank. While British forces traditionally issued gorgets made from brass, silver became the metal of choice among fighting patriots. Furthermore, crescent-shaped gorgets mimicked those of French design rather than the bulbous, tear-dropped form of the British. Of course, the reason for these choices is clear: to sever all connections to England, not just in politics but in appearances as well.
Having survived the war and his subsequent imprisonment after Charleston's surrender in 1780, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney represented his home state at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and was a key figure during the ratification of South Carolina's state constitution in 1790. In 1800, Pinckney ran as the Federalist's candidate to the office of Vice President of the United States, and became its presidential nominee in 1804. Thomas Jefferson, still benefiting from his popularity brought about by the Louisiana Purchase, defeated Pinckney by over 70 percent of the vote.
It is unknown whether Charleston silversmith John Vanall made this gorget, engraved at a later date, specifically for Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, or if it was simply stock material purchased from his shop on Meeting Street.Collection
The Charleston Museum C/O: Historic Charleston FoLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
GorgetNomenclature Sub-Class
Body ArmorNomenclature Class
ArmamentsNomenclature Category
Category 05: Tools & Equipment for Science & TechnologyIntake
Loan In
L.2011.002Lender
Dr. John Brumgardt, DirectorDate Received
Jan 12, 2011Date Returned
Feb 1, 2011Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
November 12, 2011Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
December 7, 2012