Lot 384

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Description:

Middle Passage 18th Century Slave Shackle, Likely Made for a Female

Measuring 16.5" from end to end, and each loop measuring 4", circa the 1700s. Cast iron shackles of the type used to restrain enslaved people aboard the lower decks of a ship during the Middle Passage crossing the Atlantic from Africa to the Americas. Due to the size of this set, it was likely used on a female slave. One end of the shackle has a ring, which would likely have had a chain running through it to connect multiple people together. At the other end is a handle, etched with markings typical of African workmanship. Deaccessioned from the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, where this item was displayed for 3 years. From the letter of authenticity: "This is to certify that the Slave Shackle accompanying this certificate is authentic as described, and was carefully researched through all available sources of information. This is a historical piece of history from the African Slave Trade during the 1700s…" There is expected minor surface pitting and oxidation from age, having a natural, rich patina.

Shackles such as these are a grim reminder of the practices of slave trading that occurred during the Middle Passage Route. A captive African slave's feet would have been bound in each ankle brace hammering in a ring on the end to secure the restraints in place. In the case where a slave trader could afford one, a simple early padlock would be used. Similar shackles were also used on hands, though many slaves had their hands bound in cloth and rope.

The "Middle Passage" was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of people from Africa were shipped to the New World as part of the Atlantic Slave trade. Ships departed Europe for African markets with manufactured goods, which were traded for purchased or kidnapped Africans, who were transported across the Atlantic as Slaves; the Slaves were then sold or traded for raw materials, which would be transported back to Europe to complete the voyage. Voyages on the Middle Passage were a large financial undertaking, and they were generally organized by companies or groups of investors rather than individuals. "Out of the roughly 20 million who were taken from their homes and sold into slavery, half didn't complete the journey to the African coast, most of those dying along the way…" ---from PBS.org

Exceptional provenance which consists of a copy of a certificate of authenticity from the Slave Relics Museum - The Center for Research and Preservation of the African American Culture as well as a return receipt from the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, PA where these shackles were on loan for a display in their museum.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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January 6, 2021 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000