This small silver-gilt sugar spoon carries in its design huge symbolism. William Beckford was obsessed with his family history and spent years researching his lineage. Heraldic motifs from his coat of arms were engraved on his possessions like brands of ownership. The spoon also has a less obvious symbolism; a link to the production of sugar, which made Beckford one of the richest men in England and tied his family to the British Slave Trade.
Sugar Spoon, Beckford's Tower & Museum
Contributed by Bath Museums
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