Sugar bowl 1774 - 1775

This sugar bowl, standing at 7 1/2 inches, was crafted by Mary Makemeid, born in 1773. Imagine the late 18th century, a time of burgeoning transatlantic trade where sugar, harvested by enslaved people, became a coveted commodity gracing the tables of the elite. Makemeid, as a woman silversmith, navigated a world dominated by male artisans. Her delicate filigree work and refined floral garlands speak to a feminine sensibility, yet the very material she worked with is laden with the harsh realities of colonialism. This bowl, more than just a vessel for sweetening tea, embodies the complex entanglements of beauty, privilege, and exploitation. What stories could this sugar bowl tell, if it could speak?