Pair of Salts 1765 - 1785

This is a pair of silver salts made by Thomas Shields in Philadelphia in the late 18th century. These small, elegant dishes speak volumes about social hierarchies in the early American republic. In this period, dining was not just about sustenance but a performance of status. Silverware, like these salts, was a marker of wealth and gentility. The neoclassical design, with its delicate shell motifs, reflects the era's fascination with ancient Greece and Rome, seen as models of republican virtue. Yet, the ownership of such luxury items was often built on the backs of enslaved labor, a stark contradiction at the heart of American society. These salts, therefore, embody the complex social and economic forces at play in the new nation. To fully understand these objects, we can turn to probate inventories, merchant account books, and other historical documents. These sources reveal not only who owned such items but also how they were acquired and used, shedding light on the values and contradictions of the time.