Manufactured by
Hougham, Solomon, English, 1746 - 1818
Date
1815
Medium
sterling silver
Dimensions
H x W x D: 4 7/8 × 1 1/4 × 1 in. (12.4 × 3.2 × 2.5 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 George III silver sugar sifter ladle by Solomon Hougham, London. The ladle’s handle is done in the fiddle style, i.e. shaped like a fiddle, tapering to a slim stem. There is an engraved monogram at the top front of the handle that reads "BMG[?]". There is a long narrow stem leading to slightly flared shoulders above a plain drop to the circular bowl. The bowl is pierced by numerous small holes for sifting sugar. On the underside of the handle are five silversmith's hallmarks. a duty mark consisting of a portrait bust of the monarch in an oval cartouche indicates production in London. A date letter "'U" in a square cartouche indicates production in 1815. The next mark is an indistinct shape in a square cartouche. It followed by the initials "SH" in a rectangular cartouche with one rounded end. Next to this is stamped the letter "C".
Place made
London, England
Classification
Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Type
sugar spoons
Topic
British colonialism
Commerce
Cooking and dining
Design
Domestic life
Economics
Slave trade
Slavery
Sugarcane
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2020.32.4
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5d4943e4e-fd94-47ab-b7c5-294734490ebc

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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