Antique Spice Cabinet

The Farm House Museum has many different furniture objects in the permanent collection, quite a few of them dating back to the late 19^th 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 19^th century because other spice cabinets similar to the woodwork and the writing style of this cabinet are from the late 19^th 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 3^rd 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 16^th 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 19^th 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.