Cann 1735 - 1750

This silver cann was crafted by Jacob Hurd, a prominent silversmith in Boston during the early 18th century. These objects were luxury items and tell us about the lives of the elite during the colonial period. Consider the social dynamics of colonial America, where enslaved labor was the engine of the economy and ideas about race and class were being solidified. The ability to own such an object signaled not only financial success but a position within a hierarchical social structure that was based on exclusion and inequality. While seemingly a simple drinking vessel, this cann reflects complex power structures. It embodies the intertwined histories of economic prosperity and racial injustice.