Lidded Sugar Bowl c. 18th century

Editor: Here we have a Lidded Sugar Bowl, likely from the 18th century. It’s crafted from silver and maybe ceramic, giving it a weighty, precious feel. It seems almost too formal for sugar, and maybe symbolizes status more than sweetness? What do you see in this piece beyond its obvious function? Curator: Well, immediately I see the engraving; likely a family crest or monogram, which situates the object within a very specific social stratum. This bowl speaks volumes about consumption, class, and colonialism in the 18th century. Who do you think benefitted most from the trade that put sugar on elite tables? Editor: Certainly not the enslaved people forced to harvest it. So, a seemingly innocent object… Curator: Exactly! It’s deeply implicated in systems of exploitation and violence. The refined elegance we see hides a darker reality, one built on stolen labor and resources. And even the very *idea* of refined sugar has gendered implications. How do you see gender operating here? Editor: I suppose it speaks to ideas of domesticity? Sugar, tea... items associated with the lady of the house, perhaps reinforcing her role within a privileged lifestyle. Curator: Precisely! Consider then the labour and industry that allowed the elite to purchase luxury commodities such as this and consider the complex economic relationships tied to identity, gender and race of that time. These objects embody not only status, but inequality. Editor: So much hidden in plain sight! I'll never look at antique silverware the same way. Curator: Nor should you! Recognizing the social and political currents within these objects empowers us to challenge the narratives they represent. It’s about deconstructing the past to build a more just future.