Caster 1760 - 1775

This caster was made by Zachariah Brigden in the 18th century from silver. Not just silver, but 4 ounces and 6 pennyweights of it, to be precise. The material’s sheen gives this object a sense of luxury, but it is the labor that really interests me. Silversmithing is a highly skilled practice, and the caster would have been made using techniques like raising, hammering, and piercing to create its refined form and delicate latticework. Consider also, the social context. Sugar was an expensive commodity, the product of exploited labor in the colonies. This caster, used to sprinkle sugar, embodies a complex relationship to global trade and social class. Its form is a testament to the artistry of the maker, but also a reminder of the sweet, yet bitter, realities of its time. It all goes to show that even the smallest, most refined objects can tell big stories about material culture.