Silver pap boat, London, England, 1767

Silver pap boat, circular with repousse design on sides, hallmarked in London, possibly by William Sheer, English, 1767

Pap is a food used to feed both infants and invalids and was made of bread softened in milk or water. For babies, it could be used in place of or in addition to mother’s milk. It was also used to wean babies off breast milk.

Pap boats are the name given to the vessels used to feed an infant or patient this mixture. The distinctive boat-shaped design gives them their name. This is a particularly grand example, made from silver with a repoussé design. Repoussé is where the silver is hammered from the inside to create a raised pattern.