Manufactured by
Wallis, Thomas II, English, active ca. 1778 - 1809
Date
1802
Medium
silver
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3 × 1 1/2 × 1/8 in. (7.6 × 3.8 × 0.3 cm)
Caption
These pieces, much like those they would replace in Slavery and Freedom, represent the deadly plantation economy in the New World that satisfied the international demand for sugar, which became a staple in the English tea industry. They also represent the financial success that sugar brought to successful slave owners, financiers, slave traders, sugar merchants, and the lifestyle maintained by sugar consumers in the United States. Sugar, Britain’s largest import, was also the focus of one of the first anti-slavery boycotts after the abolition bill was rejected by British Parliament in 1791. The boycott attempted to put economic pressure on the slave-dependent industry of sugar, hastening the end of the trade.
Description
A silver label for a rum decanter by Thomas Wallis II, London. The label is a single piece of flat, slightly curved metal suspended on a chain. The label is roughly rectangular shaped with rounded corners. The top edge rises in a single bump in the center. there is a small hole on either side of the bump each with a ring through it for the suspension chain. The word "RUM" is incised in large letters in the center of the rectangle. The edge of the rectangle is outline in three beveled edges. on the back are four hall marks, the maker's mark "TW' in a rectangular cartouche. There is also the date stamp letter "G" in a square, a lion passant with a dip in the cartouche edge, and a very worn duty mark.
Place made
London, England
Classification
Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Type
labels (identifying artifacts)
Topic
British colonialism
Commerce
Cooking and dining
Design
Economics
Slave trade
Slavery
Sugarcane
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2020.32.3
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5cd4ff7ad-fe6a-4a49-88d9-037f508dede2

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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