Sugar tongs 1774 - 1776

These sugar tongs were made by Hester Bateman, a prominent woman silversmith in the late 18th century. In a patriarchal society, Bateman defied convention by running her own successful business after her husband’s death. Bateman's delicate, bright-cut engraving reflects a broader cultural shift towards refined domestic rituals. Sugar, once a rare luxury, became more accessible due to the exploitative labor of enslaved people on Caribbean plantations. These tongs, therefore, are not just decorative, they are emblems of wealth acquired at a human cost. Consider the intimacy of sharing sugar, a social act deeply embedded in the complex networks of trade and labor. These sugar tongs offer a poignant lens through which we can examine the intersection of gender, commerce, and colonialism, all while offering a glimpse into the tactile and social world of the past.