Mule bit crafted by an unidentified enslaved person
date: label: Date
content: 19th century
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Unidentified
label: Owned by
content: Old Slave Mart Museum, American, founded 1937
notes: label: Description
content: A curb iron mule bit crafted by an unidentified enslaved person from a unidentified plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. The purchase has two (2), round curb strap rings attached to a small chain. Below is a ported mouthpiece and a shank ending in two (2) round rein rings. Handwritten text in white paint on the ported mouthpiece reads [011] on one side and [OSM] on the opposite side. Below [OSM] is a painted white rectangle with handwritten black text that reads [R353].
place: label: Place made
content: South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
label: Place used
content: South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Agriculture
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Craftsmanship
label: Topic
content: Skilled labor
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1815-1861
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Tools and Equipment
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.108.24.1
objectType: label: Type
content: ironwork
label: Type
content: bits (bridle components)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: iron
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 11 1/2 × 6 1/4 × 1 9/16 in. (29.2 × 15.8 × 4 cm)