We’re going to look at the abolitionist jewelry of the anti-slavery movement, a fascinating jewelry category that is as important as it is rare.

Abolitionist jewelry of the 18th and 19th century anti-slavery movement.

Tomorrow is Juneteenth: a day honoring June 19, 1865; the long-overdue day when the enslaved people of the United States were finally free. This feels like the perfect time to explore the fascinating history of abolitionist jewelry and its role in the 18th and 19th century anti-slavery movement.

Much like the social justice warriors of the Suffragette movement, the majority of serious abolitionists did not dedicate much of their time, money, or energy into jewelry that triumphed their cause. True examples of abolitionist jewelry are scarce because not much of it was created.

We’re going to begin by looking at one very influential type of abolitionist jewelry with examples from museum collections, and then we’re going to look at two examples of abolitionist jewelry that I’ve had the honor of photographing personally. After that, we will examine these artworks through a modern lens and highlight their problematic elements.

This article was made possible by a number of knowledgeable sources, all of which are credited at the end.

The Wedgwood medallion

The best known abolitionist jewelry is the Wedgwood anti-slavery medallion. The image at the top of the page shows a circa 1787 example from The Metropolitan Museum of Art while the one below, in an embellished frame, is from the The Art Institute of Chicago.

Designed by Josiah Wedgwood in 1787, the Wedgwood anti-slavery medallion was created for the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, a London-based group dedicated to publicizing their cause through dissemination of anti-slavery books, pamphlets, prints, and artifacts.

The Wedgwood medallions were distributed at the Society’s meetings for free to promote awareness. Typically produced in black and white jasperware (a type of pottery), instead of the Wedgwood company’s signature blue and white, the Wedgwood anti-slavery medallion depicts the the figure of an enslaved Black man in chains and a loincloth, kneeling in a subservient posture, with his hands clasped in supplication, beneath the words “Am I not a man and a brother.”

The medallions were very popular among abolitionists of the time: thousands were produced and set into abolitionist jewelry in the form of pendants, bracelets, hair accessories, brooches, buckles and more.

The Wedgwood medallion originated in England, but it soon made its way to the American abolitionists. In 1788, Josiah Wedgwood included 500 Wedgwood anti-slavery medallions with a letter to Benjamin Franklin, who was President of the Philadelphia Society for the Abolition of Slavery at the time.

Wedgwood’s design was widely used in abolitionist pamphlets and other paraphernalia on both sides of the Atlantic. The above is an American take on the motif showing an enslaved woman instead of an enslaved man, with the words “Am I not a woman and a sister.” This example is a copper token created by Gibbs, Gardner and Company for the American Anti-Slavery society in 1838, a full fifty years after Wedgwood’s original medallion.

A fantastic example of how far the influence of Wedgwood’s design truly reached.

An Abolitionist Miniature

This exquisite example of abolitionist jewelry was in the collection of Sandy Jacobs Antiques when I visited their booth at the 2023 Washington Winter Antiques show. This miniature caught my eye immediately, and the eminently knowledgeable Sandy was kind enough it tell me all about it while I photographed it.

Can you see why we started with Wedgwood? This piece also dates to the late 1700’s but is much more high end than the British jasperware medallions. It uses the same motif and the same slogan – the artist was obviously inspired by Wedgwood’s design.

The more closely you look at this piece, the more impressive it becomes. A tiny oil painting on an ivory plaque, this miniature’s every hand-painted brushstroke accomplished impossibly miniscule details with great precision. You can see each the kneeling figure’s facial features and hair, the curve of each letter, even the negative space inside the links of the chain.

The figure even appears to be wearing a gold earring, a detail not included in Wedgwood’s original design.

This ivory miniature is backed with gold and encased by a domed lens. It started life as a brooch but was later converted to a pendant.

This piece’s origin is unknown. Was it commissioned by a abolitionist with money to spare? Did a jeweler friendly to the cause create it as a passion project, or for their own personal collection? Perhaps it was gifted to a prominent figure in hopes that they would wear it publicly and raise awareness.

Whatever its story, to call this particular piece of abolitionist jewelry rare is an understatement. I’ve never seen another one like it and I probably never will.

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