Sugar bowl c. 1863 - 1912

This sugar bowl was made by Bigelow, Kennard & Co., and it invites us to consider the complex history of sugar as a commodity. The manufacture of silver objects like this bowl often relied on economic systems deeply entangled with slavery and colonialism, and sugar production was at the heart of it. These sugar bowls, integral to tea and coffee services, were not merely decorative, they were emblems of wealth and status, masking the harsh realities of the sugar trade. Whose labor went into sweetening the tea sipped from such elegant vessels? These objects suggest a story of global trade, power, and inequality and serve as reminders of the hidden costs embedded in everyday luxury items.