Sugar urn with cover 1825 - 1835

This is a silver sugar urn with a cover, made by Robert and William Wilson sometime in the 19th century. At the time, sugar was not just a simple sweetener, it symbolized wealth and status. The artistry of this piece speaks to that, reflecting the consumer culture of the time. Simultaneously, we can not ignore the grim realities of how sugar arrived on the tables of those who could afford it. What histories of labor and exploitation are embedded in this object? Consider the hands that mined and processed the materials for this urn, and the hands that labored on the sugar plantations. This urn becomes a vessel filled with complex questions about value, taste, and the intertwined narratives of luxury and oppression.