Slop Bowl 1854 - 1865

This is a pewter slop bowl made by Thomas Danforth Boardman, who lived from 1784 to 1873. During Boardman’s lifetime, the United States saw significant social and economic shifts, as the industrial revolution transformed manufacturing and trade. Slop bowls like this one were common in wealthier households as part of tea sets. Tea drinking in this period was a ritual deeply entwined with social class and gender. Who had access to tea, how it was served, and who participated in tea ceremonies were all carefully controlled. This reflects broader power dynamics, which governed relationships and status. Consider this object as more than just a simple bowl. It’s a looking glass into the rituals and hierarchies of early American life. Think about the hands that made it, the families that used it, and the conversations it might have witnessed around a parlor table.