Steel sugar nippers with opposed blades to crack the sugar loaf. Hinged with a spring and decorated with engraved patterns. For a similar pair see Anthony Tibbles (ed.), 'Transatlantic slavery: Against Human Dignity' (1994: cat 148).

In the 18th century people did not buy sugar as granules or lumps as we do today. Instead, it came in large cone shapes, wrapped in paper, called sugar-loaves. These were made from sugar grown on plantations in the Americas. Sugar nippers like these were used for cutting off small pieces from sugar-loaves for domestic use.

Part of the Michael Graham-Stewart slavery collection.