Wedgwood's historic anti-slavery medallion goes under the hammer

'Powerful statement of conscience' could sell for up to $1,800 at auction

- Sentinel Reporter

A RARE and historically significant Wedgwood anti-slavery medallion - dating back to around 1787 - is being auctioned off later this month.

The ceramic medallion depicts a kneeling figure in chains, his wrists and ankles bound, with the poignant inscription 'Am I Not a Man and a Brother!

This powerful image became a defining symbol of the abolitionist movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Josiah Wedgwood, one of the most influential potters and industrialists of his age, produced the medallion in support of the campaign to end the transatlantic slave trade.

As a pioneering abolitionist, he chose to distribute the medallions free of charge at meetings of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade.

Their striking design and emotive message ensured widespread circulation, with reproductions appearing in prints, textiles and other decorative arts.