Hot water urn 1830 - 1831

Here is a hot water urn and cover made of silver by John Angell. During the early 19th century, items like this became potent symbols of wealth and social standing, reflecting the rise of consumer culture. Consider that the elaborate design and the very material of this urn speaks to the expansion of global trade networks. Silver, often sourced from colonized lands, underpinned the wealth and privilege of the upper classes. Think about how the act of pouring hot water from such an object became a ritual, steeped in the performance of gentility. The urn serves not only as a functional object, but as a marker of identity, class aspirations, and the complex entanglements of colonialism and consumerism. The hot water urn reflects the way material culture shapes our understanding of history.