Note the the sink in its securing ring shown to the left in the bottom photo of the Captains Stateroom aboard the USS Texas ca 1890s.
Above photos illustrate an early 1860s-1900s US Navy sink with bottom drain attachment indicating the earliest use of shipboard water. These sinks and clean running water under pressure only became practical after the Navy began introducing steam engines as the main propulsion system aboard its ships. At that time a more robust system of disposing dirty or used water became necessary as keeping this water in slop jars for later disposal over the rail became impractical.
At The Pirates Lair we have both the later used sinks with plumbing fixtures as well as the earlier basins which required clean water amphora like pitchers to draw the water from as well as the larger and rounded slop jars.
The basins and sinks looked indistinguishable except for the plumbing fixtures on the bottom of the sinks. Both the basins and the sinks were all the same size and all had the same insignia, either a plain U.S.N mongram or the more stylist USN with the letters in a florish and superimposed on each other. It is presumed that the more stylistic USN insignia were in earlier use.
Additionally, both sink and basin each had a thick roll or lip around the top edge so as to allow it to fit into a circular steel holder. This allowed for the ship to use as much existing onboard infrastructure during the transition from non-water to onboard water systems.
All of the sinks we have seen each have old cracks around where the brass plumbing drain fixtures fit onto the sink. These cracks did not leak on any of the sinks we have tested, and they have all appeared to be long-time stress cracks created when the plumbing drain was tightly screwed onto the sink. An operational or implementation defect for sure.
More detailed photos and review of Naval Sanitaryware or Hygieneware can be found by Clicking Here - US Navy Porcelain Hygieneware or Sanitaryware w/ USN Monogram.
| VERY RARE! 1860's - early 1900's - US Navy Amphora-like Porcelain Floor and Ring Mounted Fresh Water Pitcher w/ USN Monogram Antique Hygieneware Sanitaryware US Navy Porcelain Ring-Mounted Fresh Water Pitcher Marked USN used Aboard a Ship's Officers Berth, Stateroom, or Washroom (or Head) from the 1860's thru Early 1900's - The Spanish American War and Great White Fleet era. This Fresh Water Pitcher Is Part of a Complete Set Consisting of a Ring-Mounted Slop Jars, Sinks, Basins, Soap Dishes and Water Tumblers. |
CLICK PHOTO! US Navy Porcelain Hygieneware Amphora-like Fresh Water Pitcher |
Museum Quality Condition with monogram USN below the glaze. No stains or cracks anywhere. Small Chip on backside - see photograph. 15" high and 9" at its widest. This fresh water pitcher is the most rarest of the items found in the US Navy set of Personal Hygieneware or Sanitaryware | $1795. | Call To Order 540 659 6209 |
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| Customer Photographic Examples of our Antique Trunks Being used as a Military or Naval Retirement Shadow Box and Storage Chest!! |
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