Basting Spoon 1685 - 1686

This basting spoon was created by Thomas Cory, a silversmith who lived and worked in Rhode Island during the late 17th century. While seemingly a mundane household object, this spoon speaks volumes about the social structures of its time. It was created during the colonial era, when the burgeoning merchant class sought to emulate the customs of the British aristocracy. The acquisition of luxury goods like this spoon was a way of signaling status and wealth. The spoon’s very existence prompts reflection on the economic systems that enabled its creation. Consider the transatlantic trade, the exploitation of labor, and the complex network of exchange that brought precious metals to Cory’s workshop. Historians rely on a variety of records—account books, probate inventories, and trade documents—to reconstruct the world in which this spoon was made and used. By examining such objects, we can gain insight into the lives of those who commissioned, crafted, and cherished them. The spoon offers us a chance to reflect on the enduring power of objects to embody social meaning.