Sugar Tongs 1775 - 1785

These sugar tongs were crafted by Benjamin Lemar, most likely in the late 18th century, from silver. The material itself is interesting: silver has long been associated with wealth and status, prized for its luster and malleability. Notice how Lemar has taken full advantage of these qualities. The tongs are delicate, almost skeletal in form. The piercing, creating decorative patterns along the arms, is a particularly skilled technique. It would have required careful planning and precise execution. But consider the purpose of these objects: sugar. A luxury commodity, produced by enslaved labor in the Caribbean. These tongs, then, are not just beautiful objects; they are material evidence of a complex global economy, and the social inequalities that underpinned it. Thinking about the artistry of Lemar, alongside the broader context of consumption, helps us to see these tongs in a new light. They bridge the fine lines between art, craft, and the realities of the world we inhabit.