18th C. Cufflinks- Montpelier Plantation, VA
Montpelier was a tobacco plantation and childhood home to President James Madison. The estate and its enslaved population had been passed down for three generations until Madison’s wife sold the property in 1844. Included in the acreage was the agricultural complex where archaeologists discovered the overseers house.
Overseers managed enslaved labor that processed the plantation’s cash crops. Historically, both Black and White men could hold the position. However, these fancy cufflinks suggest the position was most likely held by a middle class, white man.
In Colonial America, men with means enhanced their buckles, buttons and cufflinks with paste jewelry. The term “paste” is used to distinguish hand-cut, glass gems from real diamonds and gems. At this site, three identical paste gems were found, only one still in its original metal setting. The gems may have been part of a set or used as replacement pieces.
