H4562.127

• california gold rush

4562.127: 1 white china sugar bowl w/lid; gold band decoration mid 19th C., no marks - from Chase estate. 4562.127A: Chart, w/printed title "March, 1895/ Pilot Chart of the No. Pacific Ocean" and the penned notation on outside " This is the property of __ [can't read initials] Chase. Unfolded size 24" x 37". From the History Information Station: Object: Sugar bowl with lid, white bone china with gilt, trim. Bone china is made from clay mixed with bone ash, in imitation of more expensive porcelain. History: Before 1870, white sugar was an expensive treat. All but the wealthiest people used white sugar only for special desserts and at tea parties, where it was served in decorative sugar bowls like this one. On the frontier, people used brown sugar or honey or molasses most of the time, but even in the cupboard a sugar bowl was a visible reminder of the social rituals of Eastern settled life and "polite society."

Used: George Chase