Sugar Box
1683-1684 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The decorative qualities of this silver sugar box reflect the preciousness of this sweet substance in 17th century Britain, as does the lockable clasp which would have kept the contents safe from theft by domestic servants. The surface of the box has been chased (the metal surface modelled with a hammer and steel tools) in a style known as ‘Chinoiserie’, which drew inspiration from illustrated travel books about Asia and the Middle East, and from painted decoration on Chinese porcelain and other imported works of art from Asia. The snake handle (a symbol of marital harmony) and pair of initials on the base of the box, suggest it may have been a marriage gift.
Sugar cane originated in Asia and was introduced to Europe by the Arabs and Berbers when they conquered the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century AD. It was later transplanted to the Spanish Canary Islands where it became the main product produced and traded. Its successful cultivation relied on the labour of enslaved Africans who were imported to work on the plantations. This agricultural model was reproduced on an larger scale in Britain’s West Indian colonies. The terrible conditions and high levels of mortality on sugar plantations prompted British abolitionists to call for a national boycott of West Indies-produced sugar. By 1808 Thomas Clarkson, the anti-slavery campaigner, was able to report that 250,000 people had 'left off Sugar and Rum'.
Sugar cane originated in Asia and was introduced to Europe by the Arabs and Berbers when they conquered the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century AD. It was later transplanted to the Spanish Canary Islands where it became the main product produced and traded. Its successful cultivation relied on the labour of enslaved Africans who were imported to work on the plantations. This agricultural model was reproduced on an larger scale in Britain’s West Indian colonies. The terrible conditions and high levels of mortality on sugar plantations prompted British abolitionists to call for a national boycott of West Indies-produced sugar. By 1808 Thomas Clarkson, the anti-slavery campaigner, was able to report that 250,000 people had 'left off Sugar and Rum'.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Silver, flat-chased, inscribed, embossed |
Brief description | Silver sugar box with flat-chased 'Chinoiserie' designs and lockable clasp, London, 1683-4 |
Physical description | Oval casket with swelling convex sides, a slightly domed hinged lid and a hinged hasp centred at the front. The hasp, punctured with hearts and saw-pierced on either side, is attached to the turned-out rim of the lid and probably once fitted over a staple to fasten it, though no such device remains. Casket rests on four scroll feet and a handle in the form of an arched snake is positioned in the centre of the lid. Casket is decorated with flat-chasing in a 'Chinoiserie' style on the surface of its body and lid. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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Gallery label |
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Credit line | Bequeathed by Mrs Aubrey Carter, widow of Maj. Carter |
Object history | John Richardson, who made this piece, was among the most important goldsmiths in London in the late seventeenth century. Born in Worcester in the early 1640s, he was apprenticed to the prominent London goldsmith Henry Greenway and eventually took over his master's business when Greenway retired in 1670. Richardson enjoyed a successful career: the scale of his activity is reflected in the number of apprentices (four) attached to his workshop, and in the importance of the commissions entrusted to him. These included candlesticks, flagons, a basin and altar cruets for Westminster Abbey, marked for London 1684-85. Personal matters appear to have motivated his return to Worcester in around 1695, and he died there in 1697-98. |
Summary | The decorative qualities of this silver sugar box reflect the preciousness of this sweet substance in 17th century Britain, as does the lockable clasp which would have kept the contents safe from theft by domestic servants. The surface of the box has been chased (the metal surface modelled with a hammer and steel tools) in a style known as ‘Chinoiserie’, which drew inspiration from illustrated travel books about Asia and the Middle East, and from painted decoration on Chinese porcelain and other imported works of art from Asia. The snake handle (a symbol of marital harmony) and pair of initials on the base of the box, suggest it may have been a marriage gift. Sugar cane originated in Asia and was introduced to Europe by the Arabs and Berbers when they conquered the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century AD. It was later transplanted to the Spanish Canary Islands where it became the main product produced and traded. Its successful cultivation relied on the labour of enslaved Africans who were imported to work on the plantations. This agricultural model was reproduced on an larger scale in Britain’s West Indian colonies. The terrible conditions and high levels of mortality on sugar plantations prompted British abolitionists to call for a national boycott of West Indies-produced sugar. By 1808 Thomas Clarkson, the anti-slavery campaigner, was able to report that 250,000 people had 'left off Sugar and Rum'. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | M.419-1927 |
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Record created | September 10, 2004 |
Record URL |
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