Embodied colonialism: the cultural meaning of silver in a Swedish colonial context in the 17th century

Abstract

Silver had an emblematic position in the 17th-century Atlantic world. After the Spanish had discovered silver ores in America, the metal’s meaning became symbolic of colonial dominion, of great wealth and providential fortune. Sweden too initiated a colonial project to obtain silver in the mountainous regions of Lapland. Silver-works were founded in order to refine the metal, and the industry borrowed many ideas from the American plantation system as mediated through Dutch entrepreneurs. This process led to the increased importance of silver, seen in royal dress and furniture amongst other products associated with the colonial world.

ABBREVIATIONS
ATA	=	AntikvarisktopografiskaArkivet,Antiquarian Topographical Archives, National Heritage Board, Stockholm, Sweden.

ABBREVIATIONS
ATA	=	AntikvarisktopografiskaArkivet,Antiquarian Topographical Archives, National Heritage Board, Stockholm, Sweden.

I am indebted to the anonymous referee for comments and to the editor Jacqui Pearce for suggesting important alterations. The finds material from the excavation of the silver works of Silbojokk is held in the National Historical Museum, Stockholm, Inv. No. 34 358.

Notes

1 Roberts 1979; Losman et al. 1988.

2 See Fur 2006 for an updated overview of the history of New Sweden.

3 Nováky 1990, 259–63.

4 Brook 2008, 26–53; Fur 2006.

5 For the colonial race in North America from a Swedish perspective, see Lindeström 1925; and regarding Lapland, Wallerström 2006.

6 Johnson 1930.

7 See Snodin & Llewellyn 2009.

8 Müller et al. 2010; Weiss 2010. The Danish West Indies was established as a colony slightly later, in 1672.

9 See Amussen 2007, 229–35. For industrial development in 17th-century Lapland, see Awebro 1983 and 1989; Nordin 2010.

10 Orser 1996, 57–88.

11 See Yentsch 1994; Hall 2000, 2–5.

12 Morrison 2008.

13 Said 1993; Amussen 2007.

14 Williams 1964; Amussen 2007, 5–14.

15 Awebro et al. 1989; Nordin 2010.

16 Wallerström n.d.

17 deVries 1976, 29, 90.

18 See Dillard 1988, 145–6.

19 See Eriksdotter 2010.

20 cf. Johnson 2002, 24–44.

21 Rosén 1966–68.

22 Englund 2000; Wetterberg 2002; 2006, Oredsson 2007; Matthis 2010.

23 Müller et al. 2010, 13–37.

24 Giddens 1990.

25 Müller et al. 2010.

26 Rosén 2010.

27 Orser 1996; Hall 2000.

28 See Ersgård 2007; Welinder 2007; Svanberg & Wahlgren 2007.

29 See Rönnbäck 2009; Lihammer & Nordin 2010; Müller et al. 2010.

30 Giddens 1990.

31 Geary 2002; Nordin 2011.

32 Lihammer 2007; Nordin 2010.

33 eg Ersgård 2007.

34 Heckscher 1942, 256–60.

35 Orser 1996; Hall 2000.

36 Hall 2000.

37 Appadurai 1996, 181.

38 Hall 2000.

39 cf. Said 1993, 95–116.

40 Fur 2006, 60–9, 144–9; Lindeström 1925.

41 For the trade with beaver furs in North America, see Dolan 2010; and on pearl mussels in Sweden, see Awebro & Öberg 2001.

42 Hall 2000, 70–4.

43 Hall 2000, 75–6; Tarlow 2008, 72.

44 Blackburn 1997, 112–14.

45 Amussen 2007, 191–217.

46 Abiri n.d.; Müller et al. 2010. It has not been possible to find first-hand documentary proof regarding Oxenstierna’s slaves. In New Sweden at least one African slave is known, Antony, who was a household slave serving under Commander Printz: Lindeström 1925; Johnson 1930.

47 Amussen 2007, 217–26; Blackburn 1997.

48 Grundberg 2005, 207.

49 Fur 2005, 351.

50 Fur 2006, 97.

51 A description of life in New Sweden was published in 1702 by Thomas Campanius Holm, and the diaries of its last governor, Johan Risingh, by Dahlgren & Norman (1988) and Per Lindeström (1925).

52 Lindeström 1925.

53 Dahlgren & Norman 1988.

54 Gosden 2004, 22.

55 See Gramsci 1996, 12.

56 Rangström 2004, 46–7.

57 Brading & Cross 1972.

58 Saunders 1999.

59 Naipaul 1969.

60 Lindeström 1925; Fur 2006, 102.

61 Kelso 2006; Kupperman 2007, 1–11.

62 Kommer 2004; Trusted 2009.

63 Kommer 2004; Silverstolpe 2004.

64 Brook 2008, 152–6.

65 Eckerbom 1983, 15.

66 Kommer 2004, 21.

67 Knutsson 2004, 134–5.

68 Eckerbom 1983, 17.

69 Eckerbom 1983, 17.

70 Saunders 1999, 252.

71 Awebro & Öberg 2001, 201.

72 Berg 1994, 47.

73 Brødsgaard & Kirkebæk 2001, 9–11.

74 Hildebrand 1992.

75 Schefferus 1956, 391.

76 Wallquist 1975, 32; Fur 2006, 60.

77 Fur 2006.

78 Dahlgren & Norman 1988; Lundmark 2008.

79 Gosden 2004, 24–30.

80 Amussen 2007, 43–62.

81 Schefferus 1956.

82 Thomas Campanius Holm, ‘Kort beskrifning om provincien Nya Swerige’ (1988 [1702]) or A Short Description of the Province of New Sweden. This was based on the diary of Holm’s grandfather, Johannes Campanius, who served as a minister in New Sweden under Swedish rule. He also translated the catechism of Martin Luther into the language of the Lenape Indians.

83 Wahlberg 2003.

84 Translation by Nordin, after Bromé 1923, 64.

85 Awebro 1989, 31–40.

86 Awebro 1989, 46.

87 The following discussion is primarily based on the report material from the excavation kept in the archive, ATA, National Historical Museum, and the finds (Inv. No. 34 358), also in the National Historical Museum, Stockholm.

88 Awebro 1989, 51.

89 Awebro 1989, 51.

90 Around 1,000 objects were registered in the excavations of 1983 and 1984. Many of these were fragments of metal objects, nails and slag. The vast majority of the ceramic material consists of red earthenware (579 sherds) and 47 sherds of stoneware. Eighty-three sherds of faience were also found, but some at least belong to the post-industrial settlement: Roslund 1989a, 119–32; see also Inv. No. 34 358, National Historical Museum, Stockholm.

91 See note 85 above. A total of 194 fragments of clay pipe were found and 22 pipe bowls, only two of these can be dated to the post-industrial period in the 18th/19th centuries. No thorough analysis has been undertaken regarding the textiles, but some fragments are probably of Flemish origin.

92 Lundkvist 1988, 21–3.

93 Roslund 1989a, 185–7.

94 Awebro 1989, 37.

95 Roslund 1989b.

96 <http://www.fmis.raa.se/cocoon/fornsok/search.html?province=La&parish=160&category=12&tab=3&page=2&objektid=11125000000302&extent=462538·78437571064,7322671·631074922,629093·9027692801,7426652·824925078&layers=Sverige;Fornl%C3%A4mningar%20geometrier;Fornl%C3%A4mningar%20symboler;Polygonlager%20f%C3%B6r%20utritning; Fornl%C3%A4mningar%20markering;&overview=0> [accessed 4 February 2012].

97 Roslund 1989b, 76–9, 110–11.

98 Beronius-Jörpeland & Skyllberg 2007, 32.

99 Johnson 1996, 70–96.

100 Curtin 1990.

101 cf. Evans & Rydén 2007, 74.

102 Awebro 1989, 70.

103 Awebro 1983, 30–1; Bäärnhielm 1976, 14.

104 The following discussion of the results of the Kvikkjokk excavation is based on the unpublished report by Wallerström and documentary sources in the archives of the National Historical Museum, ATA, Stockholm.

105 Wallerström n.d., 1–6.

106 The total number of collected objects is uncertain.

107 Nine copper and silver coins were found, dating from the period 1629–73: Wallerström n.d., 48.

108 Lucas 2004

109 cf. Deetz 1993, 28–9.

110 Cotter et al. 1992, 407–9.

111 Fur 2006.

112 Awebro 1989.

113 Awebro 1989.

114 Inv. No. 34 358, The National Historical Museum, Stockholm.

115 Orser 1996, 8–64; also Rydving 1993, regarding Saami religion and cult.

116 Awebro 1989, 62.

117 Bäärnhielm 1976, 8.

118 Nevéus 1995.

119 Mignolo 1995, 274.

120 Mignolo 1995, 259–89.

121 Wallquist 1975, 30.

122 cf. Andrén 1998, 170–82; Kupperman 2007.

123 Nenk 2003; Brook 2008, 162–8.

124 See Hildebrand 1992.

125 Magnusson 2005, 334.

126 cf. Bedoire 2009.

127 Kupperman 2007; Eriksdotter 2010.

128 deVries 2008.

129 Magnusson 2005, 340–2.

130 Oostindie 2005, 6–9.

131 Evans & Rydén 2007, 211.

132 Florén & Ternhag 2008.

133 Magnusson 2005, 341.

134 Awebro 1983, 328.

135 Dahlgren & Norman 1988, 27–8.

136 Ekelund & Hébert 1997.

137 Weber 1978; also deVries 2008.

138 Ellenius 1988.

139 Sombart 1967; Rönnbäck 2009.

140 For a discussion of the Black Atlantic, see Gilroy 1993.

141 Hjortsjö 1966, 9.