Two-Handled Cup and Cover 1735 - 1741

This is a two-handled cup with cover made in the early 18th century by Jacob Hurd, a silversmith in colonial Boston. It’s an object that speaks to the complexities of identity and class during this period. Hurd was part of a small community of artisans, and his success reflects the growing wealth of the merchant class in Boston. Made of gleaming silver, its value was considerable, and ownership would have been a display of status. We see engraved initials on the side, suggesting it was commissioned by a wealthy family. But what about the labor? The lives of enslaved Africans were inextricably tied to the material culture of early America. Silver objects like these would have been purchased with money made through trade routes deeply entangled with slavery. This cup, therefore, embodies a story of both aspiration and exploitation, a reminder of the intertwined histories of race, labor, and economic power in early America.