Dimensions: 6 13/16 x 11 15/16 x 5 1/8 in. (17.3 x 30.3 x 13 cm); 18 oz. 18 dwt. (587.6 g)
Copyright: Public Domain
This Teapot, created by Joel Sayre in the late 18th or early 19th century, is an example of American Federal-style silver craftsmanship. Made during a period of nation-building, this object speaks to the rising merchant class in America, who sought to emulate European customs to establish their identity and status. The teapot's elegance belies a more complex narrative. Tea, as a commodity, was deeply entangled with colonialism and the exploitation of labor, particularly in Asia. The presence of such an item in an American home would have been a signifier of wealth, but also a silent acknowledgment of global trade networks built on inequality. We might also consider the labor of enslaved Africans. Some were likely involved in the making of silver objects in America, further complicating the object's narrative with the brutal realities of early American society. This teapot, therefore, sits at an intersection of class, race, and colonial history.
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