Miniature shovel (part of a set) 1690 - 1691

Here we have a miniature shovel, part of a set, made by George Manjoy, who was born in 1685. Though we don't have an exact date of creation, we can imagine this object existing in a world profoundly shaped by colonial expansion and the early stages of industrialization. This tiny silver shovel may seem a mere curiosity, but it speaks volumes about the era's obsessions with status and refinement. A tool, shrunk to the scale of a plaything, becomes a marker of wealth. How might this object reflect the lives of the unseen laborers whose work underpinned this elite lifestyle? Consider the contrast between the delicate twist of the handle and the back-breaking labor associated with a real shovel. This contrast embodies the vast social inequalities of the time. As you contemplate this miniature, think about the stories it silently carries—of privilege, labor, and the complex dance between appearance and reality.