CMC D-2382 a-f

It has been suggested that this vase was perhaps one of the places Sir John A. MacDonald hid his liquor supply. Stories about the drinking habits of Canada's first prime minister, popularized in modern times by John Diefenbaker and others, highlight one of Macdonald's imperfections, but overlook his dedication to politics at the cost of his personal life, and obscure his energy, intelligence, and shrewd judgement of people and issues. This vase of heroic size, presented to Sir John A. Macdonald by Irish friends and admirers in 1887, perhaps signifies the respect that this man received and the high esteem with which he was regarded in his day.