pepper caster

pepper caster , circa 1767

Where object was made: London, England, United Kingdom

Material/technique: sterling silver

Dimensions:
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 11.7 x 4.6 cm
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 4 5/8 x 1 13/16 in

Credit line: Gift of Kathleen McBride Hall

Accession number: 2005.0166.a,b

On display: Stewart Gallery

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Label texts

Black pepper is native to southwestern India and has long been the world’s most traded spice. Archaeological evidence reveals that it was used in ancient Egypt and was widely trafficked in the ancient Roman and Islamic spice trades. By the Middle Ages, black pepper was a valuable culinary item in Europe. The high prices prompted the Portuguese to seek a sea route to India ushering in the so-called “Age of Discovery” and European colonization on a global scale.