2015.22
Antislavery Medallion, design introduced in 1787
Artist
Josiah Wedgwood
Title
Antislavery Medallion, design introduced in 1787
Creation Date
1787
Century
late 18th century
Dimensions
2 7/8 x 2 3/8 x 3/4 in. (7.3 x 6.03 x 1.91 cm)
Classification
Medals/Plaquettes
Creation Place
Europe, United Kingdom
Medium and Support
jasperware and wood
Credit Line
Museum Purchase, Laura T. and John H. Halford, Jr. Art Acquisition Fund
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2015.22
A Black enslaved man pleads on one knee with shackled hands clasped as he looks toward the words, “Am I not a Man and a Brother?” This medallion is one of many created in England during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to support the abolition of the slave trade. The medallion’s design has been criticized because of the pleading figure seemingly begging for pity, discounting the many resistance efforts by enslaved Black people without assistance or mercy from those in power. The design was featured on snuffbox lids, shoe buckles, hair pins, pendants, and bracelets to support the abolitionist cause, which found victory in 1838 following the abolition of slavery in all British colonies.
