The Farm House Museum has many different furniture objects
in the permanent collection, quite a few of them dating back to the late 19th
century which can give us a greater perspective on the people that lived during
that time. One interesting piece of furniture is this Spice Cabinet, which
hangs on the wall in the Farm House’s 1860s era kitchen. While there is not
specific date for this cabinet, it can be assumed that it is from the late 19th
century because other spice cabinets similar to the woodwork and the writing style
of this cabinet are from the late 19th century. In all likelihood,
this cabinet is from that time as well. While this Spice Cabinet is from the 1800’s,
spices have been utilized since ancient history.
When spices were
first noted in historical records they were often traded goods that were seen
as having healing properties. Within ancient Egypt, China and Mesopotamia
spices were used for medicinal remedies and were often grown and purchased by
the elite. Chinese courtiers even used cloves in the 3rd century BC
to make their breath smell sweet when addressing the Emperor. Ancient Indian
surgeons would use mustard to ward off spirits and include ginger in their treatment.
Ancient Romans would use spice-scented oils after baths to improve their skin
tone. Spice prices were kept high throughout the medieval period due to the
Arab monopoly on spice trade. The spice trade continued to grow throughout the
world as spices were seen as a high commodity due to their unique tastes and
projected health benefits. During colonial times in America, the British still
controlled the spice trade, so it wasn’t until the revolution that the United
States entered the world spice business. The spice trade was largely controlled
by New England until the mid 1800’s when spice commerce became more
decentralized. Still, spices remained a commodity used by upper class people.
It was during this time that the Farm House’s Spice Cabinet was probably constructed.
While spice cabinets
had been common in other locations around the world before this time,
Pennsylvania gave rise to traditional American spice boxes. Spice boxes were
seen as a status symbol in colonial America as they were desirable and a luxury
reserved for the wealthiest. These square boxes would often be found in the
parlor area on top of other furniture, similar to sugar safes. Many of these
boxes wouldn’t just have spices in them but other treasured items like jewelry,
tea or even salt. They also would be designed to reflect the furniture fashion
of the time. These boxes were mostly made in Pennsylvania but their simple
design influenced other spice cabinetmakers. The Farm House’s Spice Cabinet
reflects the simple rectangular shape of the Pennsylvania style.
One other thing to note about this Spice Cabinet is the spice
names that are listed on the drawers. The first is cloves, a sweet and warming
spice native to Indonesia and used most often in baking – especially this time
of year as the holiday season approaches. The second is ginger; native to Southeast
Asia this spice wasn’t used widely as a food seasoning until the 16th
century. The third is allspice, which was discovered in Jamaica and is similar
to cloves but is far more pungent. The fourth is pepper; native to India this
spice is often called the king of spices and is found in many different forms. One
of the other drawers is partially erased so the only word visible is “powder.”
This could refer to many different spices as a lot of them have been ground and
use powder at the end of there title. When looking inside the drawer there is
small plaque that says mustard. Maybe the previous owners had erased some of
the writing on purpose so they could put mustard in the drawer instead? Three
of the drawers don’t have any writing on them at all so this could be where
they put some other valuables or treasured items. On the top of the Spice
Cabinet there is a box labeled salt, which isn’t connected to the Spice
Cabinet. The reason that the saltbox isn’t connected to the Spice Cabinet is
that salt isn’t a spice but a mineral. Salt, unlike spices, doesn’t come from a
plant and it won’t lose flavor over time. This Spice Cabinet can teach us a lot
about what people ate and how they flavored their recipes back in the 19th
century. Even though this object is
period appropriate and was not actually in the Farm House back then, it is an
example of what could have been in an 1860s era kitchen, and shows us the
emphasis placed on spices, cooking, and flavor.