THE NOGGIN

"The noggin was the most common drinking vessel in Irish rural houses at a time when ceramics were prohibitively expensive. It was also extensively used in workhouses where each person was allocated their own noggin. This is a one and a half pint example in oak. It stands 7 inches to the top of the handle stay and is 5 inches in diameter. Made by a cooper if the tin hoops came loose it would be repaired by a travelling tinsmith and that is why this example shows a big discrepancy between the quality of timber construction and of its later hoop repair. A noggin would be stood upside down on the dresser for display and to dry. Few noggins have survived because house heat shrinks the wood stays, they fall apart and were usually thrown out at this point. "