Patterns of Aspiration, Escapism, and Solidarity on the Transferwares owned by Montpelier’s Enslaved Community
Author(s): Mary Furlong Minkoff
Year: 2018
Summary
Over 50 unique transferprint patterns have been identified among the ceramic vessels recovered from James Madison’s Montpelier. Of these, the greatest variety of patterns are found within enslaved contexts. The variety and abundance of transferwares owned by enslaved people at Montpelier suggests that these pieces were selected for purchase because of their designs, rather than simply their availability or cost. While, decorative arts scholars and collectors, have recognized the use of transferprinted images on ceramic vessels to convey cultural ideas and values of those who made and used them, archaeologists have yet to fully explore the potential of this type of analysis. In this paper, I will examine how enslaved people shared, taught, and expressed their ideas of aspiration, escapism, and solidarity through the cups, plates, and bowls they used every day.
Cite this Record
Patterns of Aspiration, Escapism, and Solidarity on the Transferwares owned by Montpelier’s Enslaved Community. Mary Furlong Minkoff. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441183)
This Resource is Part of the Following Collections
Keywords
General
Ceramics
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Slavery
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Transferware
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
18th Century
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 561